PREFACE 

'HIS  book  aims  to  give  a  complete  survey  of  one  of 
newest,  freest,  most  potent  and  democratic  forces 
:he  art  of  the  American  stage — the  Little  Theatre, 
lescribes  the  rise  and  influence  of  the  Little  Theatre 
±urope  and  its  subsequent  rise  in  the  United  States. 
^  description  of  every  Little  Theatre  in  the  United 
tes  that  the  author  could  find  is  given,  including  the 
ievements,  special  significance,  policy,  repertory,  and 
lie  contribution  of  each  one.  Since  the  Little  Theatre 
/ement  is  a  growing  thing,  changes  in  its  history  are 
stantly  taking  place.  It  is  in  a  state  of  transition 
can  only  be  written  of  in  terms  of  transition, 
n  estimating  the  contributions  of  the  various  Little 
:atres  the  author  has  striven  to  be  as  fair  as  possible ; 
naturally,  the  Little  Theatres  ,that  have  made  the 
it  history  and  possess  the  most  salient  characteristics 
e  been  given  the  most  space.  If  a  disproportionate 
>unt  of  description  seems  to  have  been  given  to  some 
he  less  important  theatres,  the  critical  reader  is  asked 
emember  that  the  amount  of  space  apportioned  was 
n  controlled  by  the  amount  of  material  received,  in 
ver  to  a  questionnaire  which  was  sent  to  such  theatres 
le  author  did  not  personally  visit.  This  questionnaire 
t  with  the  problems  of  policy,  housing,  finance,  deco- 
Dn,  ensemble,  and  management.  Sometimes  inspir- 
iii 

37155^ 


iv  PREFACE 

ingly  complete  and  detailed  answers  were  received :  again, 
the  replies,  in  spite  of  additional  correspondence,  proved 
extremely  meager. 

The  full  repertory  of  each  Little  Theatre  has  been 
given  wherever  that  repertory  was  made  up  of  new,  sig- 
nificant plays,  or  plays  readily  available  for  use  in  other 
Little  Theatres.  To  a  certain  extent,  repetition  had  to 
be  avoided,  so  in  some  cases  the  general  trend  of  a  thea- 
tre's repertory  has  been  indicated  rather  than  giving  the 
whole  repertory.  And  there  are,  of  course,  instances 
where  Little  Theatres  are  so  new  that  their  repertory  is 
very  brief  indeed ! 

There  is  a  Chapter  on  the  Little  Theatre's  Cost  of 
Maintenance  given  in  thp  hope  that  cities  not  possessed 
of  Little  Theatres  will  want  to  establish  one.  And  there 
is  appended  a  Chapter  on  the  Repertory  System  in 
general. 

The  author  wishes  to  express  her  thanks  to  the  many 
directors  of  Little  Theatres  throughout  the  country  with- 
out whose  full  and  hearty  co-operation  this  book  would 
not  have  been  possible.  Thanks  are  also  due  to  the  fol- 
lowing magazines  for  their  kind  permission  to  reprint 
material  which  has  already  appeared  in  their  pages :  The 
Independent,  The  Art  World,  The  Bellman,  The  Mid- 
West  Quarterly. 


CONTENTS 

CHAPTER  I 

FAGB 

'THE    RlSE    OF    THE    LlTTLE    THEATRE          ...  1 

The  Rise  of  the  Little  Theatre  in  Europe.  The  Free 
Theatre  of  Andre  Antoine.  Lugn£  Poe.  StanislavskTs 
Moscow  Art  Theatre.  Wyspianski's  National  Polish 
Theatre.  Madame  Kommisarzhevsky.  The  Convex 
Mirror  Theatre,  "ilise  of  the  Little  Theatre  in  Great 
Britain.  Movements  Influenced  by  Little  Theatres:  The 
Independent  Theatre.  The  Stage  Society.  The  Irish 
Players.  The  Manchester  Players.  Welsh  National 
Theatre.  Literary  Theatre  of  Liverpool.  Proposed 
Literary  Theatres  of  Birmingham,  Leeds,  Sheffield, 
Bristol.  The  Glasgow  Theatre.  Wessex  and  M'Evoy's 
Players.  Afternoon  Theatre.  Gertrude  Kingston's 
Little  Theatre.  Max  Reinhardt  and  the  Kammerspiel- 
haus.  The  Munich  Art  Theatre.  Strindberg  and  the 
Intimate  Theatre.  V  Other  Little  European  Theatres. 
Jacques  Copeau.  The  Theatre  du  Vieux  Colombier. 
The  Rise  of  the  Little  Theatre  in  the  United  States. 

Its  Growth.     Achievements.     Diiferentiation.     Promise. 

• 

CHAPTER  II 
THE  LITTLE  THEATRES  OF  NEW  YORK  CITY         .       25 

Winthrop  Ames'  Little  Theatre.  The  Bramhall  Play- 
house. The  Washington  Square  Players.  Stuart 
Walker's  Portmanteau  Theatre.  The  Provincetown 
Players.  The  Neighborhood  Playhouse. 

*  -•" 

CHAPTER  III 

THE  LITTLE  THEATRES  OF  NEW  YORK  CITY  (Con.)       61 

The  East-West-Players.  Brooklyn  Repertory  The- 
atre. The  Negro  Players.  The  Morningside  Players. 
The  Greenwich  Village  Theatre.  New  York's  Amateur 
Comedy  Club. 

V 


vi  CONTENTS 

CHAPTER  IV 

PAGE 

OTHER  LITTLE  THEATRES  OF  THE  EAST         .        .       79 

The  Richmond  Hill  Players.  The  Workshop  Theatre 
of  Yonkers.  The  Drama  League  Players  of  Buffalo. 
The  Little  Theatre  of  Rochester.  The  Prince  Street 
Players  of  Rochester.  The  Community  Players  of  Mont- 
clair,  N.  J.  The  Neighborhood  Players  of  Newark, 
N.  J.  The  Bridgeport  Players.  The  McCallum  Theatre 
of  Northampton.  The  Little  Theatre  of  Philadelphia. 
"Plays  and  Players"  of  Philadelphia. 

CHAPTER  V 

THE  LITTLE  THEATRES  OF  CHICAGO       .        .        .     103 

Maurice  Browne's  Little  Theatre.  The  Workshop 
Theatre.  The  Hull  House  Theatre. 


CHAPTER  VI 

OTHER  LITTLE  THEATRES  OF  THE  WEST        .        .      121 

The  Lake  Forest  Players  of  Lake  Forest,  111.  The 
Prairie  Playhouse  of  Galesburg,  111.  The  Little  Play- 
house of  St.  Louis.  The  Little  Theatre  of  Duluth. 
The  Wisconsin  Players  of  Milwaukee. 

.      CHAPTER  VII 
OTHER  LITTLE  THEATRES  OF  THE  WEST  (Con.)    .      147 

The  Arts  and  Crafts  Theatre  of  Detroit.  The  Play- 
house of  Cleveland.  The  Little  Theatre  of  Los  Angeles. 
The  Little  Theatre  of  Indianapolis.  The  Harlequin 
Players  of  Kansas  City,  Kan.  The  Little  Theatre  of 
Erie,  Penn.  The  Little  Theatre  of  Brookfield,  Penn. 
Movements  toward  Little  Theatres  in  Minneapolis,  St. 
Paul,  Pittsburgh,  Cincinnati,  and  Portland,  Ore. 

CHAPTER  VIII 
THE  LITTLE  THEATRES  OF  THE  SOUTH          .        .169 

The  Vagabond  Theatre  of  Baltimore.  The  Drama 
League  Players  of  Washington,  D.  C.  The  Little  The- 
atre of  New  Orleans.  The  Little  Theatre  of  Louis- 
ville, Ky. 


CONTENTS  vii 

CHAPTER  IX 

PAGE 

LABORATORY  THEATRES      .......      181 

Harvard's  47  Workshop  Theatre.  The  Dartmouth 
Laboratory  Theatre.  The  Laboratory  Theatre  of  Car- 
negie Institute  at  Pittsburgh.  Grace  Griswold's  The- 
atre Workshop. 

CHAPTER  X 

LITTLE  COUNTRY  THEATRES      .....     209 

The  Little  Country  Theatre  of  Fargo,  N.  D.  Other 
Little  Country  Theatres.  The  Little  Plainfield  (N.  H.) 
Theatre.  The  Quillcote  Barn  Theatre,  Hollis,  Me. 

CHAPTER  XI 

COST  OF  MAINTAINING  A  LITTLE  THEATRE    .        .     217 

Individual  Problems  Confronting  Little  Theatres. 
Seating  Capacity  and  the  Theatre  Tax.  Putting  a  Little 
Theatre  on  a  Club  Basis.  Gleanings  from  the  Expense 
Accounts  of  Little  Theatres.  Reducing  the  Theatre 
Budget.  Knowledge  Required  for  Keeping  down  Ex- 
penses. 

CHAPTER  XII 

A  WORD  ON  REPERTORY  THEATRES  IN  GENERAL       223 

Need  for  Repertory  Theatres.  The  Star  System. 
Stock  Companies.  The  New  Theatre.  Granville  Barker 
on  Broadway.  Grace  George's  Repertory  Season.  The 
Little  Theatre  and  Repertory. 

APPENDICES 

1.  The  Little  Theatre  in  Mediaeval  Times        .        :.     241 

2.  Little  Theatres  that  Have  Failed      .         .         .      243 

3.  The  Municipal  Theatre  of  Northampton  (Mass.)    245 


LIST  OF  ILLUSTRATIONS 

The   Washington    Square   Players,    New   York.     S£ene   from 

Andreyeff's  The  Life  of  Man     .....  Frontispiece 

FACING 
PAGE 

The   Washington   Square    Players   in   Evrienof's    The   Merry 

Death,  and  in   Bushido *  .       .32 

Scene  from  Lord  Dunsany's  Golden  Doom  as  produced  at 
Stuart  Walker's  Portmanteau  Theatre,  and  the  Port- 
manteau Theatre  unpacked  and  set  for  a  performance  .  44 

The  Neighborhood  Playhouse,  Grand  Street,  New  York       .       56 
The  Greenwich  Village  Theatre,  New  York  City       .       .       .       73 

The  Community  Players  of  Richmond  Hill,  Long  Island,  in 

Quintero's   A   Sunny  Morning 82 

Christmas  Silhouette  at  Maurice  Browne's  Little  Theatre, 
Chicago,  and  Part  of  the  Interior  of  the  Hull  House 
Theatre,  Chicago 106 

The  White  House   Saloon,  Galesburg,   111.,  before  and  after 

being  remodeled  into  the  Prairie  Playhouse        .       .       .     126 

Inside  the  Arts  and  Crafts  Theatre,  Detroit,  Michigan  .       .     148 

Scene  from  Lord  Dunsany's  Glittering  Gate  at  the  Arts  and 
Crafts  Theatre,  Michigan,  and  scene  from  Ryland  at 
the  Vagabond  Theatre,  Baltimore,  Md 174 

Professor  Baker's  Workshop  Theatre  at  Harvard.  A  Re- 
hearsal of  Sigurjonsson's  Eyvind  of  the  Hills  .  .  .  190 

Theatre  of  Carnegie  Institute,  Pittsburgh,  Penn.     Studio  for 

Scene   Painting  and   Costume   Room 200 

Scene  from  Theodore  Dreiser's  Laughing  Gas  as  produced  at 
the  Little  Theatre  of  Indianapolis,  Ind. ;  and  Scene  from 
The  Prairie  Wolf  by  John  B.  Lang  as  produced  at  the 
Little  Country  Theatre,  Fargo,  N.  D 212 

Woodland    Setting    designed    by    Maxfield    Parrish    for    the 

Little  Country  Theatre  of  Plainfield,  New  Hampshire     .     214 

Auditorium  of  Carnegie  Institute  Laboratory  Theatre,  Pitts- 
burgh, Penn 218 

The  New  Theatre,  New  York 230 

The  Municipal  Theatre  of  Northampton,  Mass.,  and  the  Lit- 
tle Theatre  of  Plainfield,  New  Hampshire,  a  "Country 
Theatre"  Remodeled  from  a  Town  Hall  ....  246 


CHAPTER   I 

THE  RISE  OF  THE  LITTLE    THEATRE 

i 

f    THE  newest  and  most  vital  note  in  the  art  of  the     J 
United  States  today  is  struck  by  that  arch-foe  of  com-      ' 
mercialism — the  Little  Theatre.     The  very  name  Little 
Theatre  is  salted  with  significance.     It  at  once  calls  to 
mind  an  intimate  stage  and  auditorium  where  players 
and  audience  can  be  brought  into  close  accord :  a  theatre 
where  unusual  non-commercial  plays  are  given ;  a  theatre 
where  the  repertory  and  subscription  system  prevails; 
where  scenic  experimentation  is  rife ;  where  "  How  Much 
Can  We  Make  ?  "  is  not  the  dominating  factor. 

Little  Theatres  are  established  from  love  of  drama,  not  ~*~ 
from  love  of  gain.  Their  workers  are  all  drawn  together 
by  the  same  impulse — they  are  artists,  or  potential  artists 
in  the  craft  of  acting,  of  playwrighting,  of  stage  decora- 
tion or  stage  management.  These  are  the  definite  traits 
of  Little  Theatres  the  world  over. 

Little  Theatres  may  differ  as  to  size — their  seating 
capacity  may  be  seventy  or  three  hundred.  But  they  do 
not  differ  in  their  main  characteristics.  One  and  all 
they  are  exponents  of  the  repertory  system;  and  last, 
and  most  important,  they  are  always  centers  of  experi- 


2          THE  RISE  OF  THE  LITTLE  THEATRE 

. 

mentation.  For  experimentation  is  the  Little  Theatre  s 
raison  d'etre. 

The  Little  Theatre  movement  is  often  spoken  of  as  a 
new  movement;  and  it  is  new  as  far  as  America  is 
concerned;  for  its  rise  in  this  country  began  in  1911- 
1912.  The  initial  idea  of  the  Little  Theatre  came  to  us 
from  Europe.  Its  inception  goes  back  ^1887  when  the 
first  small  experimental  theatre  was  established  in  Paris 
by  Andre  Antoine  \i  37  Elysee  des  Beaux  ArtsJ/  Jules 
Lemaitre's  description  of  that  blustery  October  evening 
has  since  become  famous:  "We  (the  critics)  had  the 
air  of  good  Magi  in  mackintoshes  seeking  out  some  lowly 
but  glorious  manger.  Can  it  be  that  in  this  manger  the 
decrepit  and  doting  drama  is  destined  to*  be  born  again!  " 
Lemaitre's  words  were  prophetic.  Had  he  been,  in  his 
feuilleton,  even  more  prophetic,  he  might  have  pointed  out 
thajxAndre  Antoine  by  establishing  the  first  genuine  Little 
Theatre  the  world  had  ever  seen  was  to  influence  the 
art  of  the  stage  more  profoundly  than  any  man  of  his 
generation./- 

The  term  "  lowly  but  glorious  "  might  have  been  used 
yto  describe  Antoine  himself:  a  man  of  the  people,  begin- 
ning his  career  as  a  clerk;  a  man  imbued  with  a  pas- 
sionate yet  clearsighted  love  of  the  stage;  a  man  filled 
with  an  enthusiasm  for  the  art  of  the  theatre  so  great 
that  he  was  able  to  enkindle  all  those  with  whom  he 
came  in  contact,  whether  clerks  and  artisans  who  wanted 
to  act,  or  men  of  great  gifts  who  wanted  to  write 
(or  were  writing),  plays — men  such  as  Eugene  Brieux, 
1  See  Appendix  I. 


THE  RISE  OF  THE  LITTLE  THEATRE  3 

Camilla  Fabre,  Pierre  Wolf,  and  George  Ancey.  All 
this  Lemaitre  might  have  seen,  had  he  possessed  the 
crystal  of  futurity.  And  more.  He  might  have  glimpsed 
that  this  young  man,  beginning  as  a  humble  clerk,  was 
to  wear  in  later  years  the  coveted  Legion  of  Honor  for 
his  services  to  the  French  theatre. 

Be  that  as  it  may,  when  Lemaitre  and  Faguet,  with 
some  of  their  brother  critics  "  stumbled  down  the  dark 
passage  of  No.  37  "  they  felt  that  it  was  an  "  occasion." 
And  they  were  not  wrong.  /Antoine's  "  Free  Theatre  " 
was  destined  to  be  as  great  as  it  was  little!  It  estab- 
lished  once  and  for  all  the  idea  of  intimacy  between 
players  and  ~au3Tence  ;  it  thrust  under  foot  the  idea  o? 


aim  oflKeT  theatrical  manager] 
for  Antoine  regarded  the  theatre  as  Max  Reinhardt  does 
today,  as  a  "  house,  jiL.  vision."  Antoine  sought  sim- 
plicity of  effect  rather  than  ornateness.  His  theatre  was 
a  dramatic  laboratory  in  the  true  sense  of  the  word,  j 

Artistic  experimentation  was  the  soul  of  Antoine's 
theatre.  From  the  first  it  eschewed  commercialism.  It 
was  never  run  for  profit.  Its  audience  was  a  subscrip- 
tion audience,  exactly  as  are  the  Little  Theatre  audiences 
of  today.  ^The  plays  Antoine  produced  were  "  criticisms 
of  life  "  as  against  the  well-made  play  of  the  Scribe  or 
Sardou  school.  They  were  as  new  and  strange  to  the 
audiences  of  those  days  as  are  the  plays  of  Andreyeff 
to  the  audiences  of  the  present.  They  were  naturalistic 
plays,  given  in  a  naturalistic  manner.  That  in  itself 
marked  a  new  epoch  in  stage  development.  The  whole 
naturalistic  art  of  the  theatre  as  we  know  it  today  dates 


4          THE  RISE  OF  THE  LITTLE  THEATRE 

back  to  the  experimentation  of  Andre  Antoine.    He  pro- 
v  duced  the  then  revolutionary  plays  of  Ibsen,  Strindberg, 

f  Tolstoy,  and  Brieux.  He  had  an  unbounded  appetite 
for  the  absolutely  new,  the  vital^he  libertarian.  He 
shut  the  door  in  the  face  of  tradition  and  gave  false 
romanticism  its  deathblow.  (By  his  daring,  his  rest- 
less searching,  his  fearless  producing,  he  made  possible 
the  Little  Theatre  as  we  know  it  today. 
\  A  critic  has  recently  said:  "The  Little  Theatre  is 
>  the  one  thing  that  has  happened  in  the  history  of  the 
stage  in  the  last  thirty-five  years."  Indeedythe  whole 
"  new  art  "  of  the  modern  stage,  lighting,  color,  styliza- 
tion,  synchronization,  has  been  made  possible  through 
the  Little  Theatre.  Without  the  impetus  of  the  Little 
Theatre  there  probably  would  have  been  no  Gordon  Craig, 
>no  Stanislavski,  no  Reinhardt.  Andreyeff,  Strindberg, 
Synge,  Yeats,  Lady  Gregory,  the  Irish  Dramatists,  the 
"  Manchester  school,"  all  these  and  their  quickening 
influence  might  not  have  taken  the  place  they  hold  today 
were  it  not  that  the  Little  Theatre  made  straight  the  way 
for  them.  That  is  to  say,  without  the  Little  Theatre,  the 

/"finest  one-act  plays  of  Europe  might  never  have  been 
written,  since  for  years  there  was  no  place  for  "  the  short 
story  of  the  drama  "  save  in  the  large  theatres  where 
it  was  relegated  to  the  part  of  a  mere  curtain  raiser/or 
in  the  vaudeville  theatres  where  it  was  forced  to  nave 
either  farcical  or  melodramatic  qualities  if  it  was  to  hold 
its  own.  The  Little  Theatre  gave  the  literary  one-act 
play,  the  play  of  characterization  and  style  and  nuance  a 
chance  to  live.^N 


THE  RISE  OF  THE  LITTLE  THEATRE          5 

It  has  been  claimed  that  the  Little  Theatre  does  not 
foster  great  acting.    But  this,  even  in  the  time  of  Antoine, 
it  never  pretended  to  do.     In  its  small  compass  there  is 
no  space  for  the  vast,  the  heroic,  the  impassioned,  the 
"  mountain  of  flame  blown  skyward  "  that  great  acting 
is,  and  always  has  been.    But  when  was  great  acting  ever 
fostered  or  taught?     The  gods  appear,  or  they  do  not 
appear.     Bernhardt,  Duse,  Coquelin,  Irving,  and  Mans- 
field, were  not  created  by  any  special  theatre  or  set  of 
theatres.    A  fine  ensemble  jhat  .shall  worthily  and  truth- 
fully express  the  idea  which  the  author  wishes  to  have 
expres&ed— tfiis.  is Jhe_.acting-ideal  oLAcjJEfe-S^S^ 
And  when  the  great  actors  of  the  future  appear  they  will  9 
find  that  through  the  influence  of  the  Little  Theatre 
there  is  a  more  appreciative  audience  waiting  to  receive 
them,  and  an  inscenation  worthy  of  their  gifts.     Mean-  ; 
while  th^/Little  Theatre  upholds  the  ideal  of  devotion 
to  art  which  the  stage  is  in  danger  of  losing,  and  pits 
its  strength  against  the  great  gilded  juggernaut  of  What 
the  Public  Wan^r   The  large  theatre  is  many  centuries 
old;  the  Little  Theatre  is  very  new  and  young.     Who 
can  tell  what  may  or  may  not  be  accomplished  by  it? 
The  next  theatre  to  Antoine's  Free  Theatre  in  point  of 
time  was  Lugne  Poe>  Theatre  de  L'CEuvre,  which  as 
its  title  suggests  was  ^theatre  of  Work — the  first  work- 
shop theatre,  an  antecedent  of  the  growing  list  of  work- 
shop theatres  that  are  in  our  midst  today.    "  Naturalness 
and  reality  "  were  the  watchwords  of  this  theatre. 
yThe  Little  Theatre  movement  then  spread  to  Russia 
where  Constantine  Stanislavski  founded  the  Moscow  Art 


6          THE  RISE  OF  THE  LITTLE  THEATRE 

Theatre  in  1890.  Its  company  was  recruited  from  ama- 
teurs who  had  a  reverence  for  and  a  willingness  to  serve 
the  theatre.  Unparalleled  hard  work  was  demanded  of 
them.  As  they  progressed,  small  salaries  were  paid  them. 
When  the  finances  of  the  theatre  reached  a  more  solid 
basis,  the  salaries  were  increased.  -  But  the  work  was  not 
diminished.  "  All  or  nothing  "  is  the  motto  of  the  Mos- 

p  cow  Art  Theatre.  So  strong  was  the  public  response 
to  their  sincerity  that  from  a  poverty-stricken  beginning 
they  progressed  financially  until  two  decades  later  they 
were  making  upwards  of  $50,000  a  year?}  The  change 
from  poverty  to  affluence  did  not^n  the  least  affect  their 
working  policy.  It  simpw'made  it  possible  for  Stanis- 
lavski  to  give  more  and^more  beautiful  productions. 
The'  most  noted  of  his  productions  were  Tchekoff's 
Sea  Gull;  Gorky's  Lower  Depttis;  Maeterlinck's  Blue 

7  Bird,  and  Shakespeare's  Hamlet  with  screens  devised  by 
Gordon  Craig — plain  cream  colored  screens  flooded  withy 
lights  of  varying  color  and  intensity.    In  1896  this  com- 
pany toured  Europe"!) 

All  growth  inclucfes  change.  Thus  it  will  be  seen  that 
the  Little  Theatre  idea  as  it  expanded  gained  greater 
catholicity.  On  the  one  hand  it  developed  naturalism 
and  on  the  other  hand  symbolism — a  spiritual  romanti- 
cism touched  with  mystery  and  beauty  such  as  is  found 
in  the  plays  of  Mae'terlinck  and  Synge. 

During  these  years  Wyspianski,  the  great  Polish 
painter  and  poet,  had  established  his  own  theatre  at 
Cracow,  where  he  designed  and  painted  his  own  scenery. 
This  was  in  the  main  symbolic  scenery,  and  by  means  of 


THE  RISE  OF  THE  LITTLE  THEATRE  7 

original  and  extraordinary  lighting  he  also  created  an 
"  illusion  "  stage.  So  fine  were  some  of  his  effects  that 
several  well-known  English  critics  credit  Wyspianski 
with  greatly  influencing  the  Moscow  Art  Theatre. 
Wyspianski  aimed  to  make  his  theatre  "  the  theatre  of 
the  Polish  conscience."  It  was  a  Little  Theatre  with 
nationalistic  inclinations.  It  produced  plays  by  Polish 
authors.  It  strove  to  be  to  the  Polish  drama  what  Chopin 
is  to  Polish  music,  inspirator  and  interpreter. 

How  far  Wyspianski's  Art  Theatre  influenced  the  next 
theatre  to  be  established  in  Russia,  the  Art  Theatre  of 
Madame  Vyera  Kommisarzhevsky,  the  Russian  actress 
(Petrograd,  1904),  cannot  be  determined.  But  this 
Petrograd  theatre  devoted  itself  to  symbolism  and  sym- 
bolic plays,  experimenting  with  these ;  making  no  attempt 
to  experiment  with  the  theories  of  naturalism. 

The  Convex  Mirror  Theatre  of  Petrograd  was  estab- 
lished in  1911.  This  Little  Theatre  produces  Russian 
plays  that  have  political  as  well  as  literary  significance, 
such  as  Andreyeff's  Sabine  Women,  and  places  less 
stress  on  stage  decoration  than  does  the  Moscow  Art 
Theatre. 

(in  1891  England's  first  Little  Theatre,  the  Independent 
TReajre,  was  started  in  London  by  J.  T.  Grein.  It  made 
nb  scenic  innovations;  but  it  produced  plays — both  one- 
act  and  longer  ones — by  English  and  foreign  authors.  It 
had  a  subscription  system  and  from  this  derived  a  small 
income — barely  two  thousand  dollars  a  year.  It  lasted 
six  years,  and  was  the  precursor  of  much  that  was 
dramatically  valuable.  \ 


8          THE  RISE  OF  THE  LITTLE  THEATRE 

s  Then  came  the  Stage  Society  (1897)  whose  actions 
are  discussed  in  the  brilliant  prefaces  of  George  Bernard 
Shaw.  This  Society  had  in  it  the  "  makings "  of  a 
Little  Theatre.  But  its  performances  were  sporadic, 
largely  owing  to  the  fact  that  it  had  no  permanent  the- 
atre of  its  own.  Nothing  can  kill  a  Little  Theatre  idea 
more  quickly  than  lack  of  a  permanent  home.  Neither, 
had  the  Stage  Society  a  permanent  band  of  players.  No 
scenic  experimentation  was  made  by  the  Society.  Styliza- 
tion  was  unthought  of.  Its  emphasis  was  placed  solely 
on  repertory. 

The  next  movement  which  might  have  resulted  in  a 
Little  Theatre  was  the  organization  of  the  Irish  Players. 
But  with  the  establishing  of  this  group  one  fact  of  very 
great  significance  became  apparent,  namely,  that  while 
in  itself  the  Irish  movement  probably  would  not  have 
come  to  fruition  if  Antoine's  Theatre  had  not  prepared 
the  way  for  it,  when  it  came  it  was  not  strictly  a  Little 
Theatre  movement ;  it  was  a  National  Theatre  movement. 


The  Abbey  Theatre  gave  the  plays  of  its  own  nation,  not 
of  other  nations.  It  was  not  experimental.  It  sought 
no  new  effects — unless  simplicity  be  called  a  new  effect. 
It  is  a  repertory  group  rather  than  a  Little  Theatre 
>group  in  this  respect.  Nationalism — not  Little  Theatre- 
ism — is  the  note  of  the  Irish  Players. 

Thereafter,  between  the  years  1904  and  1913  group 
after  group  of  players  with  Little  Theatre  attributes 
were  established  in  the  British  Isles.  The  Manchester 
Players,  founded  and  directed  by  Miss  Horniman,  have 
the  catholicity  that  is  the  hall  mark  of  the  Little  Theatre. 


THE  RISE  OF  THE  LITTLE  THEATRE          9 

They  produce  both  classic  and  modern  plays.  Their  plays 
by  local  authors,  mirroring  with  bitter  fidelity  life  in  and 
about  Manchester  and  other  manufacturing  cities,  has 
earned  for  these  playwrights  the  title  of  "  The  Man- 
chester school  " — a  group  as  distinctly  Idealistic  as  the 
Irish  Players  are  nationalistic.  Beyond  this,  Miss  Horni- 
man's  players  do  not  indulge  in  experiment.  There  is 
no  attempt  at  the  new  inscenation.  The  theatre  is  not 
intimate.  There  is  no  subscription  system.  It  is  in  fact 
"  a  permanent  stock  company  of  picked  front-rank 
actors." 

The  Welsh  National  Theatre  is,  by  its  very  name, 
fessedly  not  a  Little  Theatre,  but  of  its  open-mindedness 
there  can  be  no  doubt,  since  its  prize  for  the  best  one- 
act  play  dealing  with  Welsh  life  was  won  by  an  Ameri- 
can woman,  Miss  Jeanette  Marks.  The  Glasgow  Liter- 
J^^J?1??*!6'  too>  is  national.  It  exists  primarily  for 
the  production  of  plays  of  national  character  written  by 
Scotch  men  and  women. 

Basil  Dean's  Literary  Theatre  hi  Liverpool  was  the 
first  of  these  group  theatres  to  lean  toward  reform  in 
lighting  and  scenery  and  new  problems  in  interpretation. 
Very  probably  his  theatre  would  have  become  a  true 
Little  Theatre  in  the  exact  sense  of  the  word  as  would 
the  proposed  Little  Theatres  of  Birmingham,  Leeds, 
Sheffield,  and  Bristol,  had  not  the  Great  War  cut 
their  plans. 

Thomas  Hardy's  Wessex  Players  and  M'Evoy's 
Devonshire  Players  might  have  formed  the  Little  Rural 
Theatre  groups  of  England  were  it  not  for  the  fact  that 


io        THE  RISE  OF  THE  LITTLE  THEATRE 

they  only  gave  sporadic  performances.  Had  the  per- 
formances been  consecutive  there  was  the  making  of  a 
wonderful  folk  theatre  in  these  groups.  The  more  the 
pity  that  the  performances  did  not  continue. 

The  desire  for  Little  Theatres  is  everywhere  mani- 
fest in  England  yet  in  only  two  instances  has  this  desire 
touched  actuality.  The  Afternoon  Theatre  in  London 
was  of  brief  duration.  Thus  the  one  real  Little  Theatre 
of  the  British  Isles  having  intimacy,  experimentation,  and 
variety  in  choice  of  plays  with  a  fine  ensemble  to  act 
them  is  Gertrude  Kingston's  Little  Theatre  in  London, 
where  that  admirable  actress-manager  has  striven  to  give 
the  British  public  the  best  work  of  their  own  authors 
and  of  foreign  authors.  The  Great  War  has  affected  this 
theatre  as  it  has  all  British  theatres,  and  Miss  Kingston 
and  her  company  have  spent  part  of  their  season  in  the 
United  States. 

(/Meanwhile,  in  Germany,  where  there  had  for  gener- 
ations been  small  court  theatres  but  no  real  Little  The- 
>  atre,  there  rose  the  star  of  Max  Reinhardt.  This  great 
producer  began  his  stage  craftsmanship  with  a  Little 
Theatre.)  Reinhardt  and  his  intimates  used  to  meet  in 
a  Berlin  restaurant,  where,  for  their  own  delectation,  they 
gave  one-act  plays. 

The  idea  of  intimacy  on  the  part  of  players  and  audi- 
ence took  such  hold  on  Reinhardt  that  he  and  his  group — 
the  Schall  und  Rauch  group  they  called  themselves — 
moved  into  a  theatre-hall,  the  Kiinstlerhaus.  The  next 
step  was  to  "  inurn  this  name,  and  the  Kleine's  Theatre 
sprang  from  its  ashes."  This  theatre  had  a  draped  in- 


THE  RISE  OF  THE  LITTLE  THEATRE         n 

terior — the  draperies  held  in  place  by  Bocklin  masks. 
The  ushers  were  in  odd  black-and-white  costumes, 
fin  this  Little  Theatre  were  produced  one-act  plays  by 
Strindberg,  Wilde,  Wedekinch  and  Von  Hofmansthal. 
In  1905  Reinhardt  was  called  to  the  directorship  of  the 
Deutsches  Theatre,  a  theatre  of  the  large  non-intimate 
type.  But  Reinhardt's  interest  in  the  intimate  theatre 
still  continued.  Next  door  to  the  Deutsches  Theatre  was 
a  dance  hall.  This  Reinhardt  promptly  remodeled  into 
a  theatre  seating  three  hundred  people.  He  called  it  the 
Kammerspielhaus.  Its  name  denotes  its  purpose.  The 
large  theatre  was  comparable  to  a  large  orchestra:  this 
small  theatre  was  comparable  to  chamber  music,  as  its 
title  indicates.  Both  one-act  plays  and  longer  plays  were 
produced  in  the  Kammerspielhaus. 

Experimentation  is  the  dominant  note  of  the  Kam- 
merspielhaus. The  naturalistic  drama  was  represented 
by  such  playwrights  as  Ibsen,  Shaw,  and  Wolf,  and  the 
one-act  plays  of  Strindberg  and  Schnitzler;  while  the 
poetic  drama  was  represented  by  Maeterlinck,  Goethe, 
Von  Hofmansthal,  and  Eduard  Stucken.  The  settings 
for  these  plays  were  austerely  lovely.  But  for  love  of 
experimentation  Reinhardt  added  a  third  type  of  drama 
—the  decorative  drama,  embodied  in  such  plays  as  Salome 
and  Sumurun.  To  these  Reinhardt  gave  exotically  gor- 
geous settings.  In  Sumurun  he  showed  how  costume 
effects  could  be  marvelously  heightened  by  the  use  of 
scenery  without  perspective.  For,  with  all  his  allegiance 
to  the  moderns,  Max  Reinhardt  is  first  and  foremost  a 
superb  colorist,  decorative  rather  than  analytical.  He  is 


m         THE  RISE  OF  THE  LITTLE  THEATRE 

at  heart  a  romanticist,  not  a  realist.  The  Little  Theatre 
might  have  become  narrow  had  it  devoted  itself  solely 
to  the  production  of  realistic  plays.  But  men  like  Rein- 
hardt  and  Stanislavski  pointed  the  way  toward  new 
accomplishments  in  creating  the  decorative  drama  that 
exists  for  beauty's  sake,  that  makes  no  pretense  at  reality, 
that  is  imaginative  and  not  photographic,  that  belongs  to 
the  world  of  vision  and  dream.  The  decorative  drama 
has  nothing  whatever  to  do  with  the  false  romanticism 
which  existed  previous  to  the  founding  of  the  Theatre 
Antoine.  It  is  new,  free,  and  splendidly  colorful.  It 
widens  the  experimental  scope  of  the  Little  Theatre. 

The  Art  Theatre  established  in  Munich  under  the 
direction  of  George  Fuchs  showed  the  direct  influence 
of  Little  Theatreism,  although  it  cannot  be  called  a  Little 
Theatre.  It  is  a  small  theatre  with  a  small  stage.  It 
stresses  the  value  of  intimacy  between  players  and  audi- 
"ence.  Its  settings  are  of  the  simplest,  flat  perspectiveless 
backgrounds  in  the  manner  of  Reinhardt;  yet  lacking 
Reinhardt's  color.  Neutral  tones  and  ascetic  lines  mark 
the  stylization  of  the  Munich  Art  Theatre.  It  does  not 
experiment  with  scenic  innovations.  Nor  is  it  entirely 
devoted  to  drama.  Like  many  of  the  court  theatres  of 
Germany,  it  alternates  plays  and  operas.  Architecturally 
it  is  one  of  the  most  beautiful  of  the  Littmann  theatres; 
but  as  a  creative  force  it  is  inferior  to  the  Kammerspiel- 
haus  of  Max  Reinhardt. 

In  1907  came  another  salient  Little  Theatre.  August 
Strindberg,  whose  plays  had  been  produced  by  Andre 
Antoine,  was  more  and  more  impressed  as  time  went  on 


THE  RISE  OF  THE  LITTLE  THEATRE 

with  the  possibilities  of  the  intimate  stage.  In  1888- 
1889  he  attempted  to  establish  a  Scandinavian  Experi- 
mental Theatre  at  Holte  near  Copenhagen  for  the  pro- 
duction of  his  own  plays.  This  project  was  abandoned 
after  Strindberg's  Pariah  and  Creditors  had  been  given, 
and  it  was  not  until  igcff.that  his  plans  in  this  direction 
came  to  fruition.  In  that  year,  with  the  help  of  August 
Falk,  he  established  the  Intimate  Theatre  at  Stockholm, 
Sweden.  He  believed  as  did  Antoine  in  reducing  the 
stage  setting  to  "  interchangeable  backgrounds  and  few 
stage  properties." 

Scenic  simplification  was  one  of  the  ideas  for  which 
he  strove.  Repertory  and_experimentation  were  part 
and  parcel  of  this  theatre  which  produced  only  the  plays 
of  Strindberg,  and  for  which  he  wrote  five  dramas 
"  marked  by  the  same  blend  of  mysticism  and  realism 
that  form  such  a  striking  feature  of  The  Dream  Play." 
This  Intimate  Theatre  seated  two  hundred  people.  Its 
company  was  a  resident  one. 

Meanwhile  other  Little  Theatres  were  springing  up  in  I 
the  capitals  of  Europe.  Brussels  and  Budapest  had  their 
intimate  playhouses.  Paris  had  its  Grande  Guinol,  a  type 
of  theatre  which  produced  one-act  plays  whose  leit  motif 
was  "  horror."  It  was  a  theatre  where  "  shocks  "  were 
guaranteed,  where  the  grizzliest  tales  of  Edgar  Allan  Poe 
found  their  dramatic  counterpart.  In  Paris  Jacques 
Rouche  established  his  Theatre  des  Arts;  and  the 
Parisian  Theatre  du  Vieux  Colombier,  the  last  Little 
Theatre  to  be  established  in  Europe  before  the  Great  War, 
was  also  one  of  the  most  significant.  Its  originator  and 


14        THE  RISE  OF  THE  LITTLE  THEATRE 

director,  Jacques  Copeau,  says  of  it :  "  It  is  established 
because  I,  myself,  and  those  who  work  with  me  are 
enemies  of  the  commercial  theatre  as  it  exists  today." 
Henri  Pierre  Roche  says  of  Jacques  Copeau:. "He  is 
to  the  modern  theatre  of  France  what  Antoine  was  to 
Paris  twenty-five  years  ago — its  soul."  Through  this 
Little  Theatre  the  intellectuals  of  Paris  hope  to  see  the 
rehabilitation  of  theatre  ideals.  In  their  earnestness  and 
simplicity  Copeau's  group  of  players  strikingly  suggests 
the  Irish  Players.  But  Copeau  produces  the  plays  of  all 
nations,  not  the  plays  of  one  nation.  His  is  a  Little 
Theatre,  not  a  National  Theatre. 

Speaking  of  this  Little  Theatre  Copeau  has  recently 
said :  "  We  have  a  small  theatre  with  only  five  hundred 
seats,  which  allows  our  enterprise  to  live  inexpensively 
and  to  be  by  far  the  cheapest  theatre  in  Paris. 

"  Our  troupe  is  engaged  and  paid  by  the  year.  Note 
that  all  the  ladies'  costumes  are  furnished  by  ourselves. 
Our  public,  especially  at  the  beginning,  was  the  culti- 
vated few — the  students,  writers,  artists,  and  the  for- 
eigners who  live  around  the  Latin  Quarter. 

"  We  do  not  know  what  the  Theatre  of  Tomorrow 
will  be  like;  we  are  simply  the  enemies  of  the  com- 
mercial theatre  as  it  exists  today." 

Monsieur  Copeau  is  now  in  America,  and  will  revive 
his  Theatre  du  Vieux  Colombier  in  New  York  next 
season. 

r  ii 

»    The   Little   Theatre   Tnovement_£eached    the   United 
Nutates  in  1911-1912.    In  that  year  three  Little  Theatres 


THE  RISE  OF  THE  LITTLE  THEATRE         15 

were  established :  The  Little  Theatre  of  Mamice_Erawn 
in  Chicago ;  Mrs.  Lyman  Gale's  Toy  Theatre  in  Boston, 
and  Winthrop  Ames'  Little  Theatre  in  New^Ybrk — the 
last  a  Little  Theatre  in  its  architecture  rather  than  in 
its  policy.  Since  the  establishing  of  these  Little  The- 
atres the  growth  of  the  Little  Theatre  movement  has 
been  so  rapid  and  spontaneous  that  at  present,  in  the 
matter  of  Little  Theatres,  numerically  speaking,  our 
country  leads  the  world.1  Over  fifty  Little  Theatres 
have  sprung  up  throughout  the  United  States.  It  can- 
not be  claimed  for  them  artistically  (save  in  one  or  two 
instances)  that  they  equal  the  Little  Theatres  of  Europe. 
Not  yet.  But  it  can  be  claimed  for  them — and  justly — 
that  they  have  greater  differentiation  than  the  Little  The- 
atres of  Europe  ever  dreamed  of  having.  Herein  lies 
their  enormous  value.  Every  Little  Theatre  now  extant 
in  the  United  States  has  met  and  conquered  problems  as 
widely  different  as  can  be  imagined.  They  are  racially 
expressive  of  America  in  that  they  show  an  indomitable 
pioneer  spirit. 

For  the  problems  they  have  conquered  are  not  only 
those  of  art,  policy,  and  finance  such  as  every  Little  The- 
atre in  Europe  has  had  to  face ;  but  also  those  of  varying 
localities,  of  varying. jaeedsi  au,d -conditions.  Europe  has 
centuries  of  culture  behind  her :  and  her  Little  Theatres 
have  found  their  audiences  ready  and  waiting.  In  the 
United  States  the  Little  Theatre  in  many  cases  has  to 
create  itself  and  its  audience  at  the  same  time.  In  each 
of  the  European  countries  Little  Theatres  have  centered 
1  See  Appendix  II. 


16         THE  RISE  OF  THE  LITTLE  THEATRE 

the  intellectual  life  of  such  larger  cities  as  Moscow,  Lon- 
don, Berlin,  and  Paris.     In  the  United  States,  cities  and 
suburbs,  seashore  villages,  prairie  towns  and  mountain 
/    farm-lands  have  their  Little  Theatres.^ 

America  has  had  to  expand  the  idea  of  a  Little  The- 

i  atre  in  order  to  meet  the  thousand  different  needs  of  the 

country  at  large.     This  has  led  to  the  creation  of  new 

|   types  of  Little  Theatres — types  which  Europe  has  never 

seen.     Europe  has  no  collapsible  Little  Theatre  that  can 

I   be  packed  up  and  moved  in  less  than  six  hours ;  no  college 

\  laboratory  theatre;  no  Little  Theatre  for  farmers  such 

I  as  one  of  our  Western  States  can  boast.     Neither  has 

'  Europe  a  beautifully  equipped  Little  Theatre  set  in  the 

1  very  heart  of  a  city  slum,  showing^  the  socializing  force 

\  of  the  Little  Theatre  as  a  community  asset.     Nor  from 

Petrograd  to  Paris  is  there  a  cultural  Little  Theatre 

where  admittance  is  absolutely  free.    Yet  all  these  types 

of  Little  Theatres  exist  in  America.    ' 

It  is  true  that  many  of  the  Little  Theatres  in  Europe 
began  in  hired  halls.  But  even  Andre  Antoine  might 
gaze  with  astonishment  at  the  ingenuity  with  which 
Little  Theatre  directors  in  this  country  have  grappled 
with  the  problem  of  no-hall-to-be-had.  The  stable,  the 
chapel,  the  art  museum,  the  masonic  temple,  the  private 
dwelling  house,  the  store,  and  even  the  saloon,  have  been 
made  into  charmingly  decorative  Little  Theatres  in  this 
country.  While  an  abandoned  fish  house  in  a  picturesque 
Massachusetts  town  has  been  so  metamorphosed  that 
Stanislavski  himself  would  applaud  it ! 

There  is,  too,  wide  dissimilarity  in  the  policy  of  the 


THE  RISE  OF  THE  LITTLE  THEATRE         17 

Little  Theatres  of  the  United  States.  Some  specialize  y/ 
in  producing  plays  by  American  authors  only;  others 
specialize  in  producing  plays  by  European  authors  only. 
Still  others  confine  themselves  to  local  authors,  or  to 
"  first  productions/'  Certain  theatres  are  addicted  to 
the  one-act  play,  and  no  other  appears  on  their  boards. 
Again  it  may  be  that  a  Little  Theatre  will  alternate  short 
three  or  four-act  plays  with  one-act  plays.  And  in  some 
Little  Theatres  classic  revivals  are  added  to  the  list, 
though  in  the  main  the  one-act  play  forms  the  chief  staple 
of  production.  The  reason  for  this  is  obvious. 

Since  the  players  and  directors  working  in  Little  The- 
atres are  artists  or  potential  artists  they  will  produce  only 
such  plays  as  have  a  distinct  value.  And  where  can  such 
plays  be  found — plays  that  will  fill  the  needs  of  the 
Little  Theatre  ?  Little  Theatres  have  only  a  small  amount  ^ 
to  spend  on  production  and  a  still  smaller  amount  to 
spend  on  royalties.  They  must  turn  to  plays  that  have 
been  written  con  amore,  with  no  commercial  end  in  view, 
plays  that  require  a  small  royalty  or  none.  Almost  the 
only  plays  in  this  category  are  the  one-act  and  occasional 
two-act  plays  written  by  European  and  American  dram- 
atists who  have  something  to  say  and  want  to  say  it 
regardless  of  money.  What  form  of  play  could  be  better 
suited  to  an  intimate  stage?  The  one-act  play  affords 
excellent  examples  of  comparative  drama.  Facets  from 
the  stage  literature  of  Russia,  Spain,  Denmark,  and 
Iceland  can  be  given  in  an  evening.  Or  an  idea  of  love 
as  it  was  yesterday,  is  today  and  will  be  tomorrow,  ca: 
be  set  before  an  appreciative  audience.  The  thought  o 


i8         THE  RISE  OF  THE  LITTLE  THEATRE 

the  world  changes  every  ten  years  and  the  Little  Theatre 
can  easily  show  forth  this  change. 

For  first  and  last  the  Little  Theatre  is  a  theatre  cj 
Jmagination,  of  thought.  Before  the  advent  of  the  Little 
Theatre  in  this  country  poetic  drama  went  starving; 
fantasy  shivered  in  the  biting  wind  of  neglect.  Now 
poetry,  fantasy,  grim  realism,  star-dust  pantomime,  and 
tingling  satire  find  place  in  the  Little  Theatres.  Brief 
social  preachments  have  their  say.  Historical  personages 
live,  move,  and  have  their  being;  for  the  Little  Theatre 
is  nothing  if  not  inclusive.  The  historic  play,  the  prob- 
lem play,  and  the  play  with  or  without  a  purpose  can  all 
find  space  on  its  boards. 

(The  one-act  play  makes  a  special  appeal  to  Little  The- 
atre players  because,  being  short,  it  requires  less  sustained 
characterization  than  a  long  play. 

There  is  another  reason  why  the  one-act  play  has  be- 
come a  necessary  concomitant  of  the  Little  Theatre. 
Since  the  Little  Theatre  houses  a  democracy  .of  artists 
each  artist  must  be  given  an  opportunity  to  reach  his 
public.  The  more  varied  the  programs  of  the  Little  The- 
atre, the  greater  the  opportunities  for  its  staff.  An  eve- 
ning of  one-act  plays  gives  the  players  a  chanc£jtQ_appe^r 
irr-sfyeraTj^^  artist  a 

chance  to  try  out  several  designs.     No  commercial  the- 

of    one-act    plays. 


Therefore  the  Little  Theatre  has  the  field  to  itself  in 
this  respeo£)  To  the  production  of  these  plays  the  work- 
ers in  Little  Theatres  bring  sincerity  and  in  many 
cases  a  keen  sense  of  dramatic  values.  From  the  first 


THE  RISE  OF  THE  LITTLE  THEATRE         19 

Little  Theatre  companies  in  the  United  States  have  real- 
ized that  wonder  and  beauty  of  effect  can  be  obtained 
through  inexpensive  as  well  as  expensive  means.  They 
employ  simplicity  and  suggestion — true  corner  stones  of 
the  significant  in  art. 

As  to  the  content  of  the  plays,  the  Little  Theatres  of 
the  United  States  produce  many  of  the  same  plays  that 
are  given  in  the  intimate  theatres  of  Europe.  That  is, 
they  give  plays  by  European  dramatists,  and  also  plays 
by  American  authors.  They  provide  our  native  play- 
wright with  a  place  where  he  can  come  into  his  own. 
As  yej/America  has  no  Dunsany,  no  Maeterlinck,  no 
Synge.  But  her  Little  Theatres  give  incipient  Dunsanys 
and  Maeterlincks  a  chance  to  experiment,  to  get  a  hear- 
ing, a  thing  they  have  never  had  before/  Some  com- 
pellingly  interesting  one-act  plays  by  native  authors  have 
been  the  result,  plays  showing  different  facets  of  Ameri- 
can life,  interpreted  both  in  terms  of  comedy  and  tragedy. 

In  scenic  investiture  several  of  the  Little  Theatres 
of  the  United  States  are  rapidly  approaching  the  Euro- 
pean  standard,  notably  the  Washington  Square  Players. 
At  devising  remarkable  effects  for  very  little  outlay  the 
Little  Theatres  in  the  United  States  surpass  their  Euro- 
pean contemporaries.  The  much  famed  scenic  use  of 
potato  sacking  by  the  Irish  Players  fades  almost  into 
insignificance  compared  with  what  some  little  American 
Theatres  have  accomplished  for  $3.98! 

Histrionically  the  Little  Theatres  of  the  United  States 
do  not  equal  the  Little  Theatres  of  Europe.  Many  of 
their  players  are  at  the  stage  where  the  Moscow  Art  The- 


20         THE  RISE  OF  THE  LITTLE  THEATRE 

atre  players  were  before  they  perfected  their  art.  All 
the  players  in  the  Little  Theatres  of  Europe  have  become 
professional.  Players  in  the  Little  Theatres  of  the  United 
States  are  of  two  kinds — professional  and  semi-profes- 
sional. If  professional,  the  players  receive  a  living  wage ; 
if  amateur,  no  wage  at  all.  They  give  their  services. 
They  are  what  one  critic  has  termed  "  amateurs  on  the 
way  toward  being  professionals./'  In  either  case  the  com- 
pany is  a  resident  one.  It  does  not  travel  about  except 
perhaps  for  a  brief  stated  period.  Its  theatre  is  its  home, 
and  there  it  stays.  It  is  not  haphazard,  it  is  steadfast. 

One  of  the  finest  things  accomplished  by  Little  The- 
atres in  this  country  is  the  fact  that  they  bring  new 
quickening  art  forces  to  the  smaller  towns  that  would 
otherwise  never  see  the  changes  that  are  being  wrought 
in  stage  decoration  as  well  as  in  the  content  of  modern 
plays.  Intellectual  and  decorative  drama,  fresh  outlook, 
and  keen  stimulus  are  thus  put  within  the  reach  of  those 
who  hunger  for  them.  It  is  one  thing  to  read  Shaw, 
and  another  to  get  the  impact  of  his  dialogue  as  the  play 
is  acted  on  the  stage.  It  is  one  thing  to  hear  of  sim- 
plicity of  line,  of  the  beauty  obtainable  through  sheer 
color,  and  another  thing  to  see  line  and  color  work  their 
miracle.  j~ 

Above  all,  4;ittle  Theatreism  must  not  be LgonfusedjEith. 
private  theatricals.  Private  theatricals  are  exactly  what 
that  name  implies — private  and  theatrical.  They  are 
given  by  a  coterie  of  amateurs  before  another  coterie  of 
amatetiis^  purely  for  the  sake  ofjfoe  amusement  derived. 
There  is  nothing  of  the  potential  artist  in  the  labors  of 


THE  RISE  OF  THE  LITTLE  THEATRE         21 

these  amateurs.  They  are  not  working  toward  a  goal: 
nothing  that  they  do  is  intentioned.  In^the  matter  of 
plays  they  are  content  to  repeat :  never  to  create.  And  last 
but  not  least,  tfaey  are  not  judged  by  theatre  standards. 
Private  theatricals  invite  leniency.  The  Little  Theatre 
invites  criticism.  The  former  is  social ;  the  latter  artistic.^ 
In  fact  the  spirit  of  Little  Theatreism  is  as  far  removed 
from  private  theatricals  as  is  painting  on  china  from  a 
Pennell  etching. 

Little  Theatres  are  not  imposed  on  the  community. 
They  are  the  natural  outgrowth  of  its  art-life — free,  spon- 
taneous, resilient.  Theyjjrejfree  in  spirit,  in  outlook,  in 
pecuniary  standard— -free  as  nocommercial  theatre_ ever 
can  be  free.  They  are  the  heralds  of  the  theatre  of  to- 
morrow";^ disturbing  factor  in  the  theatre  of  today. 

David  Belasco  has  lately  said :  "  Little  Theatres  are  ^V 
a  menace.  They  cannpt. last."  A  critic  promptly  replied  : 
"  If  they  can't  last,  then  why  are  they  a  menace?  "  The 
old  order  changeth  and  the  Little  Theatre  is  responsible 
for  the  change.  It  has  put  art  into  the  hands_njLihe 
jpeople  instead  of  into  the  hands  o f  jhgjjox  office,  and 
art  that  is  of  the  people,  that  is  native  and  authentic,  is 
a  force  to  be  reckoned  with  in  all  ages  and  all  climes. 

The  j/eryjittkness_p_f  Jhe jy tJl^ jn^eaLtrejs_its_  safe-  ' 
guard.  There  is  no  vast  expense  for  rent,  salaries,  scen- 
ery, costumes,  heat,  light,  printing  and  advertising,  such 
as  the  commercial  theatre  has  to  face.  The  Little  The- 
atre is  not  forced  to  please  a  large  majority,  does  not 
consider  what  the  public  wants.  It  can  advance  towards 
the  goal  it  has  set  for  itself  unhampered  by  the  difficul- 


22         THE  RISE  OF  THE  LITTLE  THEATRE 

ties  that  beset  the  commercial  playhouse.  Indeed,  all 
difficulties  are  promptly  overridden.  Perhaps  because 
the  movement  in  this  country  is  young  it  has  the  daring, 
the  ardor,  the  eager  up-struggle  of  youth.  It  is  the  the- 
atre of  the  Future.  It  has  no  musty  traditions  to  fall 
back  on,  no  hidebound  theories.  It  hoes  its  own  row. 
With  its  audience  it  creates  and  fulfils  a  demand  for  the 
best. 

A  noted  critic  has  recently  observed  that  he  could  tell 
whether  the  art  life  of  a  city  was  an  affectation  or  a 
reality  by  inquiring  whether  it  supported  a  Little  Theatre. 
It  was  like  feeling  the  art  pulse  of  the  community.  If  a 
Little  Theatre  existed  then  that  community  was  a  thriving 
place,  creatively,  in  all  the  finer  things  of  culture.  If  a 
Little  Theatre  did  not  exist  then  that  place  was  artis- 
tically moribund.  Like  all  wit  his  rapier  thrust  had  a 
flash  of  truth,  for  a  Little  Theatre  is  made  possible  by 
spirit  rather  than  by  money. 

\North,  South,  East,  West,  this  country  has  responded 
to  the  Little  Theatre  movement.  New  York,  the  largest 
city  in  the  country,  naturally  has  the  greatest  number  of 
Little  Theatres,  and  movements  instigated  by  Little  The- 
atres. jWinthrop  Ames'  Little  Theatre  has  already  been 
mentioned.  There  are  also  the  Washington  Square 
Players,  .the  Provincetown  Players,  the  Neighborhood 
Playhouse,  the  Portmanteau  Theatre,  the  Greenwich 
Village  Theatre,  the  East-West-Players,  the  Bramhall 
Playhouse,  and  in  process  the  Workshop  Theatre.  Groups 
of  New  York  players  directly  influenced  by  the  Little 
Theatre  idea  include  the  Morningside  Players  and  the 


THE  RISE  OF  THE  LITTLE  THEATRE         23 

Negro  Players.  Brooklyn  has  a  Community  Repertory 
Theatre  directly  traceable  to  Little  Theatre  influence. 
Richmond  Hill,  L.  I.,  and  Montclair  and  Newark,  N.  J., 
have  each  a  group  of  Community  Players.  There  is  a 
Workshop  Theatre  at  Yonkers,  N.  Y.  Rochester,  N.  Y., 
has  a  Little  Theatre  and  also  a  group  called  The  Prince 
Street  Players.  Bridgeport  has  a  Little  Theatre ;  Buffalo 
has  the  Drama  League  Players  and  their  Little  Theatre. 
Philadelphia,  Baltimore,  Northampton,  Mass.,  and  Plain- 
field,  N.  H.,  have  Little  Theatres.  So  have  Erie  and 
Brookfield,  Penn.  New  Orleans  and  Louisville  are  estab- 
lishing Little  Theatres.  There  is  a  recently  started 
Little  Theatre  in  Washington,  D.  C.  Chicago  has  three 
Little  Theatres;  Duluth,  St.  Louis,  Kansas  City,  Los 
Angeles,  Detroit,  Galesburg,  and  Lake  Forest,  111.,  have 
Little  Theatres.  So  also  have  Fargo  and  Kensal,  N.  D. 
Laboratory  Theatres  have  been  established  at  Harvard, 
Carnegie  Institute,  and  Dartmouth.  Wisconsin  is  justly 
proud  of  its  Wisconsin  Players.  Movements  toward 
establishing  Little  Theatres  are  afoot  in  Minneapolis, 
St.  Paul,  Columbus,  Pittsburgh,  Cincinnati,  and  Port- 
land, Ore. 

To  describe  these  Little  Theatres,  their  contributions 
and  achievements,  is  the  purpose  of  this  book. 


CHAPTER   II 

THE  LITTLE  THEATRES  OF  NEW  YORK 

CITY 

WINTHROP  AMES'  LITTLE  THEATRE,  ETC. 

As  New  York  is  the  largest  city  in  the  country  it 
naturally  follows  that  it  has  the  greatest  number  of 
Little  Theatres.  Indeed,  the  very  first  Little  Theatre 
(so-called)  to  open  in  this  country  was  that  of  Mr.  Win- 
throp  Ames.  But  this  theatre  does  not  represent  the 
Little  Theatre  movement.  It  is  only  a  Little  Theatre 
architecturally.  Its  policy  is  not  that  of  a  Little  Theatre 
as  the  term  is  universally  understood.  Itjias  neither  a 
resident  company,  experimentation,  repertoire,  nor  a  sul> 
scriptionsystem.  So  much  confusion  has  resulted  from 
it<T~nomenclature  that  Mr.  Ames  contemplates  chang- 
ing its  name  to  something  which  does  not  suggest  the 
Little  Theatre  movement.  Meanwhile  the  name  of  Mr. 
Ames'  Little  Theatre  has  come  to  stand  for  productions 
of  a  high  order,  including  such  matchlessly  staged  fan- 
tasies as  Prunella,  and  Snow  White,  and  brilliant  per- 
formances of  modern  plays  such  as  Shaw's  The  Phil- 
anderer, Sowerby's  Rutherford  and  Son,  Schnitzler's 
Anatol,  and  Harcourt's  A  Pair  of  Silk  Stockings. 
Though  Pierrot  the  Prodigal  was  given  by  Mr.  Ames  at 

25 


26      LITTLE  THEATRES  OF  NEW  YORK  CITY 

this  theatre,  he  originally  produced  it  in  the  larger  Booth 
Theatre. 

Mr.  Butler  Davenport's  miniature  Bramhall  Playhouse 
is  also  a  Little  Theatre  architecturally  though  not  in 
policy,  since  it  exists  as  a  producing  center  for  the  plays 
of  its  owner. 

It  cannot  be  said  too  often  that  it  is  not  the  seating 
capacity  which  determines  the  status  of  the  Little  The- 
atre. Take,  for  example,  the  seating  capacity  of  the 
Little  Theatres  of  Europe.  The  Intimate  Theatre  of 
Stockholm  seated  200;  the  seating  capacity  of  Gertrude 
Kingston's  Little  Theatre  in  London  is  400;  that  of  the 
Vieux  Colombier  in  Paris,  500.  Yet  all  of  these  are 
Little  Theatres  in  the  true  sense  of  the  word,  imbued 
with  Little  Theatre  principles. 


THE  WASHINGTON  SQUARE  PLAYERS 

THE  Washington  Square  Players,  "  a  group  of  actors, 
artists,  and  authors  interested  in  stimulating  and  devel- 
oping new  and  artistic  methods  of  acting  and  producing 
and  writing  for  the  American  stage,"  were  established 
in  1915.  They  are  undoubtedly  the  most  interesting 
group  of  Little  Theatre  players  in  this  country.  Indeed, 
they  might  take  the  Square's  Arch  of  Triumph  /8s  their 
crest;  for,  from  the  first,  they  have  been  among  the 
most  successful  of  Little  Theatre  experimenters.  Their 
name  is  apt;  as  most  of  the  players  live  in  the  Washing- 
ton Square  district.  The  idea  of  the  theatre  had  its 
inception  in  Washington  Square.  Something  of  the 
Square's  literary  and  artistic  do-as-you-choose-ness 
infuses  their  work.  The  freedom,  the  oddness,  the  un- 
expectedness of  the  "  Republic  in  the  Air  "  flavors  their 
efforts. 

Like  the  Schall  und  Ranch  of  Max  Reinhardt  and  the 
Free  Theatre  of  Antoine,  their  work  had  small  (but  pic- 
turesque) beginnings.  Max  Reinhardt's  Schall  und 
Rauch  group  used  to  meet  in  a  restaurant.  The  Wash- 
ington Square  Players  also  used  to  meet  in  a  restaurant, 
the  famous  "  Polly's."  Yet  most  of  all  they  foregathered 
in  the  Washington  Square  Bookshop.  Its  two  large  high- 
ceilinged  rooms;  its  white  woodwork;  its  bookcases;  its 
hundreds  of  volumes  in  gay  colors  lining  the  walls  like 

27 


28      LITTLE  THEATRES  OF  NEW  YORK  CITY 

a  tapestry;  its  comfortable  chairs  and  lounge;  its  hos- 
pitable open  fire — all  tended  to  make  it  a  place  to  linger  in. 

About  this  fire  one  winter  night  a  group  of  artists, 
writers,  and  theatre  enthusiasts  sat  talking.  And  from 
that  talk  of  ways  and  means  the  idea  of  a  Little  Theatre 
grew.  Not  one  of  the  enthusiasts  had  any  money  with 
which  to  finance  a  theatre;  but  all  were  determined  to 
have  it.  All  were  content  to  begin  with  little  and  work 
toward  more.  Therefore  for  the  production  of  their 
first  experimental  one-act  play  late  in  the  Autumn  of 
1914  they  took  the  back  room  of  the  store  and  built  a 
small  platform  stage.  A  curtain  background  was  ar- 
ranged, and  a  few  accessories  were  improvised  by  a 
young  man  interested  in  new  ideas  in  scenery,  named 
Robert  Edmond  Jones.  Seats  were  arranged  for  an  audi- 
ence of  about  forty  people,  twenty-five  cents  a  seat  was 
the  price  of  admission.  The  play  was  Lord  Dunsany's 
Glittering  Gate.  And  a  Glittering  Gate  it  proved  for  the 
Washington  Square  Players! 

The  success  of  this  first  tiny  effort  fanned  the  flame 
of  their  enthusiasm.  The  rest  is  theatre  history.  How 
this  group  of  young  people  "  passed  the  hat "  and  rented 
for  a  few  performances  early  in  1915  the  Bandbox  The- 
atre in  an  in-get-at-able  part  of  town;  a  theatre  where 
professionals  had  failed;  how  they  gave  week-end  per- 
formances of  one-act  plays  that  were  slightly  crude  as 
to  acting,  but  filled  with  new  ideas  in  investiture  and  con- 
tent— all  this  has  become  known  from  coast  to  coast. 

Their  first  program  at  the  Bandbox  consisted  of  four 
one-act  plays :  Interior,  by  Maeterlinck ;  Licensed,  by 


THE  WASHINGTON  SQUARE  PLAYERS       29 

Basil  Lawrence ;  Eugenically  Speaking,  by  Edward  Good- 
man; and  Another  Interior,  by  an  anonymous  author. 
Licensed,  Another  Interior,  and  Eugenically  Speaking 
were  excellent:  but  it  was  the  wonderfully  sustained 
atmosphere  of  Maeterlinck's  Interior  that  gained  univer- 
sal praise. 

This  success  encouraged  the  Washington  Square  Play- 
ers to  give  four  performances  weekly  for  the  rest  of  the 
season.  During  this  time  they  continued  to  produce, 
programs  of  one-act  plays  by  American  and  foreign 
authors.  The  outstanding  successes  amongst  these  were 
Holland  Hudson's  enchanting  pantomime  in  black  and 
white,  The  Shepherd  in  the  Distance,  and  Maeterlinck's 
Miracle  of  St.  Anthony,  with  an  austerely  lovely  scene 
designed  by  Lee  Simonson;  Forbidden  Fruit,  An  Arti- 
ficiality, by  George  Jay  Smith,  from  the  French  of  Octave 
Feuillet,  with  a  decorative  set  by  Robert  Locker;  and 
Two  Blind  Beggars  and  One  Less  Blind,  by  Philip 
Moeller,  one  of  the  grimmest  plays  the  Washington 
Square  Players  have  produced.  Scenically  interesting 
also  was  the  set  for  Goodman's  Saviors,  an  interior  in 
black  and  parrot  green,  designed  by  Ada  Rainey.  Even 
their  programs  at  this  time  were  odd  and  intriguing, 
printed  in  black  on  heavy  gray  wrapping  paper. 

At  this  period  the  Washington  Square  Players  had 
the  only  theatre  in  New  York  which  gave  one-act  plays. 
In  spite  of  the  many  expenses  incident  to  starting  a  new 
company  and  mounting  new  plays  they  asked  a  uniform 
price  of  fifty  cents  for  the  balance  of  their  first  season. 
They  then  leased  the  Bandbox  for  the  whole  season  of 


30      LITTLE  THEATRES  OF  NEW  YORK  CITY 

1915-1916  and  gave  the  customary  eight  performances 
a  week  instead  of  four.  This  meant  the  assuming  of 
further  responsibility  in  rent,  and  the  prices  rose  accord- 
ingly. One  dollar  was  asked  for  two-thirds  of  the  seats 
in  the  house,  and  fifty  cents  for  the  remaining  third. 
The  Bandbox  seats  299.  f-tf 

It  is  safe  to  say  that  no  one  in  the  company  had  more 
than  a  living  wage.  This  theatre  was  started  for  love  of 
ideas,  not  for  love  of  money.  It  struck  a  new  and  stimu- 
lating note  to  which  most  of  the  New  York  critics  in- 
stantly responded.  The  public  flocked  to  the  theatre:  a 
group  of  permanent  subscribers  was  secured:  this  gave 
the  Players  definite  financial  backing.  The  subscription 
list  grew  rapidly;  and  the  experimentation  of  the  Players 
kept  pace  with  it. 

From  the  first  it  became  apparent  that  the  Washington 
Square  Players  had  a  flair  for  the  unusual  in  the  content 
and  inscenation  of  their  plays.  Their  scenery,  simple  to 
the  verge  of  starkness,  had  color  and  atmosphere  that 
stamped  it  indelibly  on  the  mind  of  the  beholder;  their 
programs  had  variety  and  interest — indeed  in  their  gift 
for  making  programs  the  Washington  Square  Players 
are,  with  few  exceptions,  masters  of  effect.  The  plays 
in  their  repertory  are  always  in  strong  contrast  and  have 
literary  or  historic  value. 

As  an  example  of  their  gifts  in  this  direction  take 
two  specimen  programs,  one  representing  their  earlier 
work  and  one  their  later  work. 


THE  WASHINGTON  SQUARE  PLAYERS       31 

i 

• 

In  April,  by  Rose  Pastor  Stokes;  Forbidden  Fruit,  by 
George  Jay  Smith ;  Saviors,  by  Edward  Goodman ;  A  Mira- 
cle of  St.  Anthony,  by  Maurice  Maeterlinck. 

The  first  of  these  was  a  picture  of  a  slum  tenement 
and  the  blighting  of  April  hopes  through  the  curse  of 
poverty.  It  had  a  dun  colored  arid  setting.  The  second 
was  a  gay  fantastic  trifle  with  a  decorative  costume  set- 
ting. The  third  play  on  the  list  was  a  serious  study  of 
the  half  world  problem  staged  with  a  striking,  vivid, 
ultra  modern  background.  The  fourth  play  was  an 
ironic  modern  morality  showing  that  only  the  simple 
hearted  possess  true  vision.  It  had  an  austere  neutral 
tinted  setting,  finely  composed. 

Each  of  these  plays  represented  a  different  idea  and  a 
different  strata  of  society,  each  represented  a  different 
way  of  looking  at  life.  None  of  them  were  such  as  would 
overtax  the  histrionic  powers  of  the  people  taking  part 
in  them.  In  this  the  Washington  Square  Players  showed 
their  wisdom.  They  began  with  plays  that  were  more 
or  less  within  their  own  range  of  histrionic  equipment. 
As  their  dramatic  ability  grew  they  attempted  plays 
more  difficult  of  interpretation.  In  this  specimen  pro- 
gram the  fourth  play  was  the  most  valuable  and  sig- 
nificant. 

Latterly  the  Washington  Square  Players  have  adopted 
the  custom — and  a  wise  one — of  making  their  third  one- 
act  play  dominate  the  program.  In  a  four-act  play  the 
third  act  is  always  the  important  act.  Thus  in  a  program 
of  four  one-act  plays  the  third  play  on  the  list,  if  the 


32      LITTLE  THEATRES  OF  NEW  YORK  CITY 

strongest,  preserves  dramatic  unity  as  if  the  whole  pro- 
gram were  a  long  play.  Of  this  method  of  procedure 
there  could  be  no  better  example  than  the  Washington 
Square  Players'  most  successful  program  which  is  given 
here  as  a  second  specimen. 

2 

Trifles,  by  Susan  Glaspell ;  Another  Way  Out,  by  Law- 
rence Langner;  Bushido,  by  Takeda  Izumo;  Altruism,  by 
Karl  Ettlinger. 

The  first  of  these  was  a  stark  tragedy  of  the  life  of 
a  farmer's  wife  pieced  together  by  her  neighbors  as  they 
observed  her  kitchen  after  she  herself  has  been  taken  to 
jail  as  the  suspected  murderer  of  her  husband.  This  play 
had  a  drab  forlorn  setting.  The  second  play  was  an 
ironic  comment  on  the  free  unions  that  flourish  on  Wash- 
ington Square  South.  It  showed  a  man  and  a  woman 
fleeing  the  bonds  of  matrimony,  and  eventually  finding 
that  only  in  these  bonds  lay  the  "  freedom  "  their  "  souls 
desired."  This  play  had  a  posteresque  studio  background 
and  smart  modern  costumes. 

The  third  play,  Bushido,  was  laid  in  eighteenth  century 
Japan.  The  stern  powerful  theme  of  its  tragedy  was 
the  sacrifice  by  Matsuo  of  his  only  son  in  order  that 
the  son  of  his  liege  lord  might  be  saved.  The  rich  cos- 
tumes suggested  mediaeval  Japan.  The  scene  against 
which  the  actors  moved  was  ascetic  in  its  bareness,  and 
was  largely  made  of  cream  colored  screens.  A  flare  of 
color  marked  the  decoration  of  the  next  play,  Altruism. 
Gaily  striped  awnings,  blue  sea  in  the  distance,  and  mod- 
ern French  costumes  in  the  foreground.  This  was  a 


THE  WASHINGTON  SQUARE  PLAYERS.  >    V  > 
Above,  scene  from  Evrienof's  The  Mrny  D*'dlh. 
Below,  scene  from  Bushido. 


THE  WASHINGTON  SQUARE  PLAYERS       33 

mordant  satire  on  philanthropy.  It  had  a  "  punch  "  end- 
ing. It  showed  the  escapades  of  a  beggar  trying  to  collect 
money  from  the  bystanders  at  a  smart  resort,  and  the 
reactions  of  a  crowd  of  French  boulevardiers  to  the  senti- 
ment of  heroism  and  charity.  After  the  boulevardiers 
have  disappeared,  the  beggar,  having  had  a  successful 
day,  skips  into  a  fine  coat  and  whistles  for  his  automobile. 

With  every  production  the  acting  of  the  Players  im- 
proved. They  had  something  to  say  whether  they  said 
it  awkwardly  or  not,  and  ideas  eventually  overcome 
awkwardness. 

Part  of  the  success  of  the  Washington  Square  Players 
is  due  to  the  fact  that  they  all  pull  together;  every  one 
works  his  or  her  best  for  the  good  of  the  whole.  Gradu- 
ally, out  of  this  team  work,  it  became  apparent  that 
individual  work  would  arise.  Some  of  the  Players  shone 
as  scene  painters;  some  at  costume-designing;  others 
were  able  translators  of  foreign  plays;  some  took  the 
burden  of  the  acting;  some  put  their  talent  to  producing; 
still  others  to  playwrighting,  though  the  American  one- 
act  plays  they  produced  were  by  no  means  confined  to 
those  written  by  their  own  group. 

Perhaps  the  best  plays  during  the  season  1915-1916 
were  Pierre  Patelin,  the  old  French  farce,  with  delight- 
ful posteresque  setting,  by  Lee  Simonson ;  Lewis  Beach's 
powerful  The  Clod]  Philip  Moeller's  splendid  comedy 
Helena's  Husband',  Alice  Gerstenberg's  Overtones — one 
of  the  most  original  plays  the  Washington  Square  Play- 
ers ever  produced;  and  Zoe  Akins'  Manhattanesque 
vers  libre  drama  The  Magical  City,  with  a  really  mar- 


34      LITTLE  THEATRES  OF  NEW  YORK  CITY, 

velous  setting,  a  room  with  an  open  window  giving  on 
the  blue  twilight  sky  of  New  York  and  against  this  sky 
a  slender  tower  spangled  with  lights.  It  is  interesting  to 
note  that  of  these  five  successes  four  are  by  American 
authors. 

By  this  time  the  acting  of  the  Washington  Square 
Players  had  reached  a  state  where  it  could  be  called 
"  professional  "  in  the  true  sense  of  the  word. 

For  1916-1917  the  Washington  Square  Players  took 
the  Comedy  Theatre,  one  of  the  smallest  of  New  York's 
playhouses  in  the  "  theatre  belt."  Its  seating  capacity  is 
700  and  the  scale  of  prices  now  runs  from  fifty  cents  to 
two  dollars. 

To  many  discerning  folk  who  followed  the  Washing- 
ton Square  Players  from  the  very  beginning  this  rise 
in  price  was  a  matter  of  sorrow.  It  seemed  to  curtail 
the  idea  of  democracy.  However  one  may  disagree  with 
the  Washington  Square  Players'  change  of  abode  (the 
rent  of  the  Comedy  Theatre  is  a  great  deal  higher  than 
that  of  the  Bandbox),  one  cannot  disagree  with  their 
definite  accomplishment.  The  Washington  Square  Play- 
ers may  have  changed  their  prices;  but  they  have  not 
changed  their  ideals.  They  still  choose  their  plays  to  suit 
themselves;  not  to  suit  the  public.  The  most  successful, 
plays  of  1916-1917  have  been  Bushido,  a  poetic  Japanese 
tragedy,  its  moving  story  enriched  by  the  imaginative 
acting  of  Jose  Ruben  in  the  title  role,  and  by  its  singu- 
larly effective  setting  of  cream  color  with  touches  of 
black  designed  by  Michio  Itow  and  William  Pennington; 
Plots  and  Playwrights,  an  hilarious  two-act  travesty  by 


THE  WASHINGTON  SQUARE  PLAYERS       35 

Edward  Massey;  Altruism,  by  Karl  Ettlinger;  Another 
Way  Out,  by  Lawrence  Langner,  both  splendid  examples 
of  saturnine  comedy;  and  Trifles,  by  Susan  Glaspell,  a 
tragedy  of  American  farm  life  tellingly  poignant  in  its 
hopelessness.  Honors  again  go  to  the  American  play- 
wright for  the  season  of  1916-1917. 

At  first  the  Washington  Square  Players  had  a  tendency 
to  warp  some  of  the  best  of  their  work  with  overemphasis 
of  sex.  A  better  balance  is  now  observable  in  this  re-  • 
spect.  Their  appeal  has  steadily  grown.  In  their  earlier 
productions  they  pleased  the  high-brow  and  the  dilettant. 
Then  their  public  widened.  People  other  than  the  high- 
brow and  the  dilettant  are  now  drawn  to  the  Comedy 
Theatre.  Nothing  succeeds  like  success.  As  one  clever 
lady  remarked  :  "  The  Washington  Square  Players  please 
both  High-brow  and  Hofbrau."  They  have  shown  New 
York  at  large  that  there  is  something  to  be  found  in  the 
theatre  beside  some  of  the  endlessly  commonplace  plays 
of  Broadway. 

The  Washington  Square  Players  have  had  several  fail- 
ures; several  times  their  programs  have  fallen  short  of 
the  high  standard  they  usually  set ;  but  in  the  main  their 
plays  are  well  selected,  played  so  they  give  variety  and 
surprise,  yet  lend  the  whole  program  balance  and  unity. 
Where  else  will  the  drama  enthusiast  find  such  a  blend 
of  satire,  beauty,  poetry,  and  wit?  The  satire  of  their 
plays  has  "bite."  No  program  is  complete  without  a 
fling  at  popular  foibles.  Their  whimsies  are  staged  with 
an  effect  of  truth  that  sometimes  catches  the  unwary. 
For  in  their  comedies  the  Washington  Square  Players 


36      LITTLE  THEATRES  OF  NEW  YORK  CITY 

can  be  solemnly  droll — even  about  themselves.  It  is  a 
theatre  which  demands  that  the  people  in  its  audience 
be  sympathetic  and  wide  awake/  It  will  not  allow  them 
to  check  their  brains  with  their  hats. 

Farsightedness  has  been  one  of  the  keenest  contrib- 
uting factors  to  this  Little  Theatre's  success.  Mr.  Ed- 
ward Goodman,  the  director  of  the  theatre,  increased  the 
membership  list  by  offering  the  subscribers  "  intellectual 
inducements."  These  consist  of  lectures  on  the  drama- 
free  to  subscribers;  and  private  performances  of  unusual 
plays  given  to  the  subscribers,  from  which  the  general 
public  is  excluded.  In  the  season  of  1915-1916  an  ex- 
quisitely wistful  performance  of  Maeterlinck's  Aglavaine 
and  Selysette  was  given.  The  subscription  performance 
of  1916-1917  was  Andreyeff's  Life  of  Man  (see  frontis- 
piece). 

The  policy  of  the  Washington  Square  Players  includes 
five  subscription  performances  a  year  of  one-act  plays 
and  longer  plays,  as  well  as  revival  of  previous  successes. 
These  performances  are  open  to  the  general  public. 

The  repertory  system  is  adhered  to  even  in  the  face 
of  successes  that  would  make  a  commercial  manager 
change  his  mind  about  long  runs.  The  only  "  run  "  the 
Washington  Square  Players  have  permitted  themselves 
was  in  Bushido,  the  memorable  Japanese  tragedy,  which 
saw  its  one-hundredth  performance,  "  the  longest  run  of 
any  one-act  play  in  New  York,"  says  Alexander  Wool- 
cott  of  the  New  York  Times.  It  could  easily  have 
reached  its  two-hundredth  performance  but,  true  to  his 
policy,  Mr.  Goodman  replaced  it  by  a  new  bill. 


THE  WASHINGTON  SQUARE  PLAYERS       3? 

The  accomplishment  of  the  Washington  Square  Play- 
ers in  three  years  is  little  less  than  miraculous.  From 
their  start  in  the  back  room  of  a  bookshop  they  have 
marched  forward  till  they  now  have  not  only  a  theatre 
but  a  school  of  acting.  Across  from  the  Comedy  The- 
atre is  a  tall  narrow  building,  every  floor  of  which — and 
there  are  seven  floors — is  occupied  by  the  activities  of  the 
Washington  Square  Players.  Here  are  the  executive  and 
business  offices,  the  class  rooms,  the  press  department, 
the  atelier,  and  "  shops  "  where  costumes  and  scenery 
are  made.  At  the  present  writing  the  Washington  Square 
Players  have  the  only  theatre  in  this  country  which  has 
a  school  in  connection  with  its  work.  Its  pupils,  as  they 
advance  in  proficiency,  are  given  small  parts  in  the  com- 
pany. They  are,  moreover,  able  to  observe  the  evolving 
of  a  play  from  the  time  the  manuscript  is  accepted 
through  the  stages  of  its  scene  designing,  rehearsing,  and 
costuming  to  its  final  production. 

It  is  the  avowed  permanent  intention  of  the  Washing- 
ton Square  Players  to  "  produce  new  works  by  American 
authors  and  important  plays  by  foreign  dramatists  that 
would  not  otherwise  be  given  a  hearing,  always  main- 
taining our  custom  of  free  experiment  without  which  we 
believe  progress  in  the  theatre  to  be  impossible."  The 
repertory  of  the  Washington  Square  Players  has  been 
as  follows : 

1915-1916 

Eugenically  Speaking,  by  Edward  Goodman;  Licensed, 
by  Basil  Lawrence;  Interior,  by  Maurice  Maeterlinck; 
Another  Interior,  by  an  anonymous  author;  Love  of  One's 


38      LITTLE  THEATRES  OF  NEW  YORK  CITY 

Neighbor,  by  Andreyeff;  My  Lady's  Honor,  by  Murdock 
Pemberton;  Moondown,  by  John  Reed;  Forbidden  Fruit, 
by  George  Jay  Smith;  In  April,  by  Rose  Pastor  Stokes; 
Saviors,  by  Edward  Goodman ;  A  Bear,  by  Anton  Tchekoff ; 
The  Shepherd  in  the  Distance,  by  Holland  Hudson;  Two 
Blind  Beggars  and  One  Less  Blind,  by  Philip  Moeller;  The 
Miracle  of  St.  Antony,  by  Maeterlinck  (these  were  the 
plays  of  the  first  half  season,  and  the  following  the  plays 
of  the  second  season)  :  The  Magical  City,  by  Zoe  Akins; 
The  Clod,  by  Lewis  Beach ;  Children,  by  Guy  Bolton  and 
Tom  Carlton;  The  Age  of  Reason,  by  Cecil  Dorrian; 
Overtones,  by  Alice  Gerstenberg;  The  Antick,  by  Percy 
Mackaye;  The  Red  Cloak,  by  Josephine  A.  Meyer  and 
Lawrence  Langner;  Helena's  Husbands,  and  The  Road- 
house  in  Arden,  by  Philip  Moeller;  Fire  and  Water,  by 
Hervey  White ;  Literature,  by  Arthur  Schnitzler ;  Aglavaine 
and  Selysette,  by  Maeterlinck;  Pierre  Patelin  (anony- 
mous); Whims,  by  Alfred  de  Musset;  The  Tenor,  by 
Frank  Wedekind;  The  Honorable  Lover  and  Night  of 
Snow,  by  Roberto  Bracco;  The  Sea  Gull,  by  Tchekoff. 

1916-1917 

The  Sugar  House,  by  Alice  Brown;  The  Merry  Death, 
by  Evrienof ;  Lover's  Luck,  by  Georges  Porto  Riche ;  Sis- 
ters of  Suzanna,  by  Phillip  Moeller;  Trifles,  by  Susan 
Glaspell;  Another  Way  Out,  by  Lawrence  Langner; 
Bushido,  by  Takeda  Izumo;  Altruism,  by  Karl  Ettlinger; 
The  Last  Straw,  by  Bosworth  Crocker;  A  Private  Account, 
by  Georges  Courteline  and  Beatrice  de  Holthoir ;  The  Hero 
of  Santa  Maria,  by  Kenneth  Sawyer  Goodman  and  Ben 
Hecht ;  The  Death  of  Tintagiles,  by  Maeterlinck ;  The  Life 
of  Man,  by  Andreyeff ;  Plots  and  Playwrights,  by  Edward 
Massey;  Sganarelle,  by  Moliere;  The  Poor  Fool,  by  Her- 
mann Bahr;  Ghosts,  by  Ibsen,  with  Mary  Shaw  as  guest 
artist. 


STUART  WALKER'S   PORTMANTEAU  THEATRE 

STUART  WALKER'S  Portmanteau  Theatre  is  proof  of 
the  fact  that  if  you  have  something  original  to  offer  peo- 
ple, it  does  not  matter  when  or  where  you  offer  it. 

Mr.  Walker  is  a  college  man  who  received  his  the- 
atre diploma  from  Mr.  Belasco,  for  whom  he  was  play 
reader,  and  later  play  director,  before  evolving  a  play- 
house of  his  own. 

The  Portmanteau  Theatre  is  what  its  name  suggests — 
a  portable,  collapsible  theatre,  that  can  be  taken,  apart 
and  packed  up  at  three  hours'  notice.  For  this  reason 
it  has  been  aptly  called  "  The  Theatre  That  Comes  to 
You."  It  can  be  set  up  in  a  hall,  or  an  auditorium,  or  a 
professional  theatre;  or  in  a  park  or  city  square.  It  is 
a  traveling  Little  Theatre,  a  theatre  that  roves.  There- 
fore it  is  an  independent  theatre.  It  has  the  power  to 
create  its  own  circuit.  It  can  give  performances  in  cities, 
or  in  country  towns.  It  can  be  set  up  in  colleges,  before 
clubs,  in  art  museums,  in  ballrooms,  in  schools,  in  set- 
tlements or  in  parish  houses.  All  it  demands  is  an  audi- 
torium seating  from  150  to  700  people,  and  space  for 
a  stage. 

The  Portmanteau  Theatre  is  a  New  York  product. 
It  was  founded  in  1915-1916.  It  was  first  set  up,  and 
gave  its  first  performance  at  Christadora  House  (Social 
Settlement,  N.  Y.),  at  an  off  season  of  the  year,  in  an 
inaccessible  part  of  town.  Yet  the  critics  went  eagerly 

39 


40      LITTLE  THEATRES  OF  NEW  YORK  CITY 

to  see  it,  and  brought  it  to  the  attention  of  the  genera 
public. 

Such  were  the  modest  beginnings  of  the  Portmanteau 
Theatre,  a  theatre  that  has  now  become  an  established 
fact.  From  the  time  of  its  firsf  performance  at  Christa- 
dor  House  the  Portmanteau  became  more  and  more  in 
demand.  It  traveled  about  in  New  York  City,  giving 
performances  here  and  there.  Next  it  was  set  up  in  a 
regular  theatre:  and  soon  the  demand  for  it  spread  so 
that  it  now  has  a  circuit  reaching  from  coast  to  coast. 
When  this  theatre  goes  on  the  road  it  does  not  send  out 
a  second  company.  The  original  players  and  the  New 
York  company  go  with  it.  It  is  the  only  traveling  Little 
Theatre  in  this  country,  and  even  on  the  road  it  preserves 
theatre  ideals. 

The  spirit  of  the  Portmanteau  Theatre  is  uncommer- 
cial. This  is  proved  by  Stuart  Walker's  Christmas  gift 
to  the  City  of  New  York.  He  set  up  his  Portmanteau 
Theatre  in  Madison  Square  on  Christmas  night,  1916, 
and  gave  a  free  performance  of  his  play,  The  Seven  Gifts. 
His  audience  was  the  homeless  of  the  city.  The  park 
benches,  the  seats  of  the  out-of-work  and  despairing, 
were  drawn  up  to  form  an  outdoor  auditorium.  People 
came  early  and  waited  for  hours  to  see  the  play.  Snow 
had  fallen.  The  Square  and  its  trees  were  white  with  it. 
And  this  white  background  seemed  to  intensify  the  deep 
mysterious  colors  used  in  the  Portmanteau  performance. 
Mr.  Walker  will  do  much  in  the  future;  but  it  will  be 
difficult  to  equal  the  emotional  quality  of  his  gift  to  the 
city  and  the  season. 


WALKER'S  PORTMANTEAU  THEATRE         41 

Simplicity  is  the  keynote  of  the  Portmanteau.  It  has 
one  scene-setting  which  it  uses  throughout.  This  scene- 
setting  is  painted  with  different  colored  lights;  is  .nade 
brighter  or  darker  as  the  case  may  be.  New  backgrounds 
are  added  to  it,  or  subtracted  from  it.  But  the  scene 
framework  remains  the  same.  It  is  itself — the  Port- 
manteau Theatre. 

This  stationary  interior  scene  of  the  Portmanteau  is 
wrought  in  four  colors:  black,  blue,  gold,  and  white — 
though  the  note  of  white  is  used  very  sparingly.  Half 
way  up  the  walls  of  the  scene  are  black,  as  if  they  were 
wainscoted  in  black.  It  is  a  dense  black,  with  no  sug- 
gestion of  wood.  Above  this  black  the  walls  are  a  deep 
yet  intense  blue — the  blue  that  is  seen  in  the  skies  of 
Maxfield  Parrish  pictures.  This  blue  is  flecked  with  tiny 
disks  of  white  and  gold — disks  that  look  like  a  constella- 
tion of  faint  stars.  Where  the  blue  joins  the  black,  a 
narrow  border  of  gold  and  black  joins  the  two  colors 
together.  The  constellation  disks  are  just  above  this 
border  at  the  right  and  left  walls  of  the  scene  and  appear 
again  near  the  border  in  background. 

There  are  three  entrances.  Doors  at  the  extreme  right 
and  left  facing  each  other,  and  made  exactly  alike,  have 
curtains  of  blue.  In  the  background  is  a  wide  square 
arch,  bordered  in  gold  and  black.  Above  it  is  a  curious- 
looking  half-circle  design  in  the  four  colors  of  the  scene. 
It  is  eastern  in  its  pattern,  and  might  come  from  Japan 
or  India. 

This  background  arch  is  the  most  important  thing, 
scenically  speaking,  about  the  Portmanteau  Theatre. 


42      LITTLE  THEATRES  OF  NEW  YORK  CITY 

Behind  this  archway  glowing  scenes  may  be  placed,  tropic 
in  their  color.  Minarets  may  soar  against  a  vivid  sky; 
or  storm  clouds  drift  against  the  heavens;  or  curtains  fall 
in  sumptuous  folds.  Or  poplar  trees  may  stand  in  grace- 
ful silhouette,  as  they  do  in  The  Moon  Lady. 

The  scene  that  is  placed  in  this  archway  determines 
the  whole  atmosphere  of  whatever  play  is  being  produced, 
whether  that  play  is  laid  in  the  Never  Never  Land,  in 
France,  in  Far  Japan,  or  in  the  Mountains  of  the  Moon. 
All  these  are  projected  from  this  background  scene.  It 
dominates  the  play.  Its  power  suggests  and  creates.  It 
makes  the  rest  of  the  stage  into  a  palace,  a  temple,  a 
garden,  or  a  street.  It  collaborates  with  the  imagination 
of  the  audience. 

Nothing  is  used  on  the  stage  of  the  Portmanteau  that 
is  not  necessary  to  the  forward-action  of  the  play.  Instead 
of  overloading  his  stage,  Mr.  Walker  strips  it.  He  relies 
on  line  and  color  for  his  effects.  Indeed  his  stage  is  so 
small  that  any  attempt  at  ornate  furnishing  would  be 
in  the  way.  It  is  surprising  what  an  effect  of  largeness 
and  mystery  can  be  given  in  so  small  a  space,  and  it  is 
due  to  his  unencumbered  stage,  and  his  way  of  using  it. 
His  lighting,  too,  plays  a  prominent  part  in  securing  these 
results. 

As  to  the  personnel  of  the  company,  Mr.  Walker's 
players  are  young  professionals  more  interested  in  gain- 
ing a  hearing  than  in  receiving  inflated  salaries.  Mr. 
Walker  looks  forward  to  the  time  when  he  can  charge 
fifty  cents  for  every  seat  in  his  house.  At  present  regu- 
lar theatre  prices  prevail  with  the  Portmanteau.  .  That 


WALKER'S  PORTMANTEAU  THEATRE         43 

is,  fifty  cents  to  two  dollars  a  seat.  But  Mr.  Walker  gave 
a  series  of  matinees  for  children  asking  only  twenty-five 
and  fifty  cents  for  the  whole  house. 

The  first  plays  produced  by  the  Portmanteau  Theatre 
in  its  very  early  struggling  days  were  A  Fan  and  Two 
Candlesticks,  by  tyfary  MacMillan;  The  Trimplet,  by 
Mr.  Walker,  and  Six  Who  Pass  While  the  Lentils  Boil, 
a  whimsy,  also  by  Mr.  Walker,  which  has  since  become 
celebrated.  Then  Mr.  Walker  added  the  strange  parable 
plays  of  Lord  Dunsany  to  his  repertoire,  staging  The 
Gods  of  the  Mountain,  in  three  short  acts;  The  Golden 
Doom  (one-act)  and  King  Ar gimmes  and  the  Unknown 
Warrior  (one-act).  Certainly  these  were  not  plays  ex- 
pected to  appeal  to  the  average  audience.  Yet  Mr.  Walker 
proved  at  once  that  there  is  a  public  for  such  dramas. 
He  invested  these  plays  with  simple  yet  curiously  lovely 
scenic  effects,  and  with  costumes  rich  in  color  and  sug- 
gestion. Obviously  these  costumes  were  dyed  under  the 
eye  of  the  director.  There  are  some  expensive  materials, 
but  in  the  main  they  seem  to  be  created  from  inexpensive 
stuffs.  Canton  flannel,  cotton  crepe,  and  cambric  are 
made  to  look  like  fabrics  brought  from  the  mysterious 
East. 

Besides  the  Dunsany  plays  Mr.  Walker  gives  Oscar 
Wilde's  Birthday  of  the  Infanta,  and  his  own  Lady  of 
the  Weeping  Willow  Tree,  a  three-act  play  of  medi- 
aeval Japan,  as  charming  as  a  Willow  Ware  plate  come 
to  life! 

Another  of  his  productions,  Gammer  Gurton's  Needle, 
g,  mediaeval  English  play,  is  in  direct  contrast  to  his 


44      LITTLE  THEATRES  OF  NEW  YORK  CITY 

other  plays,  as  it  has  bluff  and  hearty  humor,  and  investi- 
ture of  bluff  and  hearty  colors. 

Gordon  Bottomly's  Crier  by  Night  is  also  given. 

The  rest  of  the  repertoire  consists  of  brief  interludes 
given  before  the  curtain.  That  is,  after  the  Dunsany 
play  or  the  Wilde  play  has  been  acted,  there  is  a  pause 
while  costumes  are  changed  and  a  new  background  slipped 
into  place  behind  the  Portmanteau's  blue  and  gold  arch. 
The  curtain  is  lowered  and  between  the  shallow  space 
that  lies  between  the  curtain  and  the  footlights  an  inter- 
lude is  given.  Quite  in  the  Elizabethan  manner  stage 
attendants  bring  in  a  chair,  a  table,  a  lamp,  or  whatever 
is  needed.  The  actors  enter  from  right  or  left,  and  the 
play  begins.  There  are  several  of  these  interludes: 
Nevertheless,  The  Very  Naked  Boy,  The  Flame  Man, 
The  Medicine  Show,  by  Stuart  Walker,  and  Voices,  by 
Hortense  Flexner. 

Perhaps  the  exotic  needs  the  balance  of  the  common- 
place. That  can  be  the  only  reason  why  Mr.  Walker 
chose  these  interludes.  The  spell  of  Dunsany's  Gods,  or 
Walker's  Old  Japan,  is  suddenly  broken.  Modern  clothes 
and  modern  chatter  blot  it  out.  Then  again  comes  the 
strange  and  exotic.  But  the  modern  play  has  broken 
the  atmosphere  built  up  by  the  first  Dunsany  play,  and 
it  is  more  difficult  to  become  enthralled  by  the  second 
offering. 

Contrast  is  doubtless  desirable,  but  there  are  other 
means  by  which  it  could  be  had.  It  would  seem  as  if 
the  fantastic  play  might  be  a  better  foil  than  the  modern 
play,  People  go  to  the  Portmanteau  expecting  the  un- 


STUART  WALKER'S  PORTMANTEAU  THEATRE. 
Above,  a  scene  from  Lord  Dunsany's  The  Golden   Doom. 
Below,  the  Theatre  unpacked  and  set  for  a  performance. 


WALKER'S  PORTMANTEAU  THEATRE         45 

usual,  so  that  a  performance  blending  the  exotic  and  the 
fantastic  would  not  be  out  of  the  way. 

But,  after  all,  Little  Theatres  are  an  expression  of  per- 
sonality. Mr.  Walker's  programs  express  Mr.  Walker's 
idea  of  what  programs  should  be.  If  there  are  defects, 
these  defects  are  slight  ones.  He  has  created  a  theatre 
that  is  absolutely  unique;  he  gives  for  the  most  part 
plays  of  a  high  order.  There  is  no  doubting  his  sincerity, 
his  courage,  or  his  artistry.  He  has  made  the  play,  minus 
sex  appeal,  succeed,  though  Broadway  declares  it  can- 
not; he  demands  less  of  his  players  than  of  himself,  for 
he  is  at  once  actor,  regisseur,  and  playwright. 


THE  PROVINCETOWN  PLAYERS 


r 


LIKE  the  Washington  Square  Players  the  Provincetown 
Players  are  a  group  of  writers,  editors,  costume  design- 
ers, actors,  and  poets  who  have  banded  themselves  to- 
gether to  produce  plays.^  These  players  have  for  the 
most  part  their  habitat  in  or  near  Washington  Square. 
There  they  spend  their  Winters ;  their  Summers  are  spent 
at  Provincetown,  Mass.,  on  the  end  of  Cape  Cod,  and 
though  the  idea  of  the  theatre  may  have  come  to  them 
in  Washington  Square  it  was  on  Cape  Cod  that  it  was 
put  into  practise.  To  be  sure,  there  was  a  single  per- 
formance of  one-act  plays  given  on  a  certain  night  in  the 
Winter  of  1916  in  the  back  room  of  the  Washington 
Square  bookstore.  But  the  first  series  of  plays  were  given 
quite  simply  on  porches  in  Provincetown  during  the  Sum- 
mer of  1915.  These  went  so  well  that  an  abandoned  fish 
house  that  was  on  a  wharf  was  taken,  and  made  into  a 
theatre  (1916).  It  was  scoured  within  and  without. 
Fish  nets  and  lobster  pots  were  ousted :  a  stage  was  built : 
and  an  auditorium  was  arranged,  seating  200  people  at 
a  pinch  and  150  comfortably.  Thus,  at  the  end  of  a 
wharf,  with  the  Atlantic  beneath  and  beyond  them,  the 
Provincetown  Players  began.  They  had  a  large  num- 
ber of  associate  members,  and  the  funds  paid  in  by  these 
members  gave  a  financial  basis  on  which  the  players  could 
depend  for  their  production. 

46 


THE  PROVINCETOWN  PLAYERS  47 

This  Wharf  Theatre,  admirably  decorated,  and  with  a 
splendid  lighting  system  installed,  served  as  a  laboratory. 
The  plays  tried  out  there  were  later  to  be  put  on  at  the 
Provincetown  Players  Theatre  in  New  York,  on  Mac- 
dougal  Street,  hard  by  Washington  Square,  and  next 
door  to  what  was  once  the  Washington  Square  book- 
store, where  so  many  Little  Theatres  have  had  their  be- 
ginnings. 

The  dues  of  associate  membership  would  not  have 
been  enough  to  establish  a  theatre  in  New  York  had  not 
the  Provincetown  Players  been  so  fortunate  as  to  gain 
the  interest  of  the  Stage  Society,  who  took  the  entire 
house  for  the  opening  night  of  each  production.  It  will 
be  remembered  that  it  was  the  Stage  Society  that  was 
responsible  for  bringing  Granville  Barker  to  this  coun- 
try;  and  for  giving  Robert  Jones  a  greater  chance  to  show 
the  public  his  extraordinary  scenery. 

Tickets  for  the  Provincetown  Players  are  sold  only  to 
members.  They  cannot  be  purchased  at  the  door. 

The  Washington  Square  Players  started  with  seats  at 
fifty  cents ;  Stuart  Walker  proposes  having  seats  at  that 
price  in  his  New  York  playhouse;  but  the  Provincetown 
Players  have  gone  one  better  than  this— /a  season  ticket 
can  be  had  for  four  dollars,  and  that  season  ticket  in- 
cludes ten  performances^The  purchaser  of  the  season 
ticket  becomes  an  associate  member  of  the  Provincetown 
Players.  And  these  members,  as  has  been  said,  are  the 
only  ones  who  can  purchase  extra  tickets  for  the  per- 
formances. 

Ten  performances  for  four  dollars!    No  wonder  the 


48      LITTLE  THEATRES  OF  NEW  YORK  CITY 

house  is  filled  !\And  there  are  no  reserved  seats.  First 
come,  first  served.  This  holds  good  whether  you  are  a 
I  member  of  the  four  hundred  or  the  four  million.  There 
|  are  200  seats  and  no  more.  The  theatre  itself  consists 
of  two  long  high-ceilinged  rooms  made  into  one — such 
rooms  as  one  sees  in  the  stately  old  houses  of  New  York. 
In  the  back  room  is  the  stage,  a  small  stage  curtained  in 
vivid  purple.  The  theatre  itself  is  in  brown — brown  walls 
and  floor  and  brown  benches  for  the  audience.  These 
benches  are  arranged  in  tiers  like  a  grandstand.  There 
are  two  doors  leading  into  the  theatre.  They  are  a  vivid 
green.  Above  the  proscenium  arch  is  a  bas-relief  border 
of  bronzy  gold.  The  purple  curtain  has  a  yellow  border. 
Everything  about  the  theatre  is  primitive — primitive  color 
and  primitive  accessories.  Its  strange  bareness  is  attrac- 
tive. 

\The  performances  of  the  Provincetown  Players  begin 
at  a  quarter  to  nine  and  last  till  eleven.  Each  program 
consists  of  three  or  four  one-act  plays. 

It  is  the  only  Little  Theatre  in  America  at  the  present 
writing  that  has  both  a  Winter  and  a  Summer  home.  It 
is  the  only  Little  Theatre  in  New  York  whose  avowed 
}raison  d'etre  is  producing  plays  by  living  American 
[authors — principally  by  New  York  authors!  It  does  not 
I  import  the  works  of  foreigners.  J  As  Provincetown  is 
essentially  an  American  place,  knit  up  with  American 
history,  tradition,  and  art,  so  the  purveyors  of  plays  to 
the  theatre  on  Macdougal  Street  are  mostly  Americans. 
The  Provincetown  Players  differ  from  the  Washington 
Square  Players  in  many  respects;  but  in  none  more  sig- 


THE  PROVINCETOWN  PLAYERS  49 

nally  than  in  program-making.  The  Playwrights'  The- 
atre, as  the  Provincetown  Players  call  their  tiny  play- 
house, is  essentially  a  "  try  out  "  theatre,  a  "  feeder  "  to 
other  theatres.  The  plays  they  produce  are  as  frankly 
"  for  sale  "  as  the  pictures  in  an  art  store's  gallery. 
/The  fact  that  the  Provincetown  Players  give  a  new 
production  every  three  weeks  and  that  the  people  who 
act  are  also  engaged  in  doing  other  work  shows  that  the 
performances  cannot  approach  perfection.  JIndeed  it  must 
be  confessed  that  in  this  respect  as  well  as  in  the  tech- 
nique of  their  plays  the  work  of  the  Provincetown  Play- 
ers is  extremely  uneven.  At  one  performance  plays  and 
acting  will  be  exceedingly  good;  while  at  the  next  per- 
formance they  may  suffer  a  sea  change.  That  the  per- 
formances are  as  good  as  they  are  when  they  are  put 
together  so  quickly  is  worthy  of  comment,  since  all  the 
work  of  the  theatre  falls  on  the  shoulders  of  the  players, 
y  make  and  paint  their  own  scenery,  using  their  small 
stage  as  a  workshop ;  the  costumes  are  not  only  designed 
by  themselves,  but  literally  created  by  their  own  work- 
manship. ^JThey  are  dyed,  cut,  and  sewn  by  the  feminine 
members  of  the  staff.  In  some  cases  the  costumes  pre-. 
pared  at  the  Wharf  Theatre  in  the  Summer  are  used 
again  in  the  Playwrights'  Theatre  in  the  Winter.  Other- 
wise it  would  be  almost  impossible  for  the  players  to 
keep  up  with  the  demands  on  their  time.  The  proper- 
ties are  likewise  hand-made.  The  lighting  experiments 
used  in  connection  with  the  various  scenes  are  managed 
by  members  of  the  Players.  And  these  economies  are 
what  make  it  feasible  to  run  this  Little  Theatre  on  a 


50      LITTLE  THEATRES  OF  NEW  YORK  CITY 

sum  that  a  commercial  manager  would  not  believe  pos- 
sible. 

There  have  been  mistakes  in  program  arrangement 
such  as  was  made  one  evening  when  all  three  of  the 
plays  presented  were  gloomy  in  theme  and  outlook.  But 
these  mistakes  are  few  and  far  between,  and  the  very 
surprises  offered  by  the  Provincetown  Players  are  tonic 
and  intriguing.  If  a  current  week's  performance  is  not 
up  to  the  mark  three  weeks  hence  the  program  may  prove 
astonishingly  rewarding.  And  as  the  Washington  Square 
Players  have  grown  in  stage  craftsmanship  from  month 
to  month,  so  also  have  the  Provincetown  Players.  Their 
theatre  is  a  theatre  of  surprises.  It  may  on  occasion  be 
lacking  in  technical  proficiency ;  but  it  is  never  lacking  in 
interest. 

(The  plays  produced  by  the  Provincetown  Players  are 
those,  as  a  rule,  that  are  written,  by  their  own  memberO 
If  an  outside  playwright  wishes  to  have  a  play  produced 
he  must  submit  his  manuscript  to  an  active  member,  who 
in  turn  submits  it  to  the  organization.    Once  a  week  the 
|   Provincetown  Players  gather  to  read  plays  aloud.    Three 
[  I   plays  are  read  in  an  evening,  and  the  final  selection  made. 

During  the  Summer  of  1916  eleven  original  one-act 
plays  were  given  their  first  production  at  the  Wharf  The- 
atre. To  these  were  added  two  plays  produced  the  pre- 
vious Summer.  The  best  of  these  plays  have  been  trans- 
planted to  the  New  York  Playhou'se  of  the  organization. 
During  the  Winter  1916-1917  thirty  one-act  plays  by 
American  authors  were  given. 

Ut  is  worthy  of  note  that  the  most  expensive  pfoduc- 


THE  PROVINCETOWN  PLAYERS  51 

tion  of  the  Wharf  Theatre  cost  only  thirteen  dollars,  in- 
cluding scenery  and  costumes./ 

In  the  Playwrights'  Theatre  on  Macdougal  Street  each 
play  is  staged  under  the  direction  of  its  author:  the  the- 
atre is  essentially  a  place  for  dramatic  experiment. 

The  prospectus  of  the  Provincetown  Players  announces 
that  with  the  exception  of  two  salaried  officers  who  de- 
vote their  entire  time  to  the  work  the  members  give  their 
plays  and  their  services  without  recompense.  Apparently 
the  players  have  divided  themselves  into  two  groups. 
While  one  group  of  ten  or  twelve  people  are  acting  in 
a  play  the  other  group  is  rehearsing. 

As  to  the  content  of  these  plays — the  result  is  at  once 
interesting  and  disturbing.  Here  are  plays  by  American 
authors;  yet  how  few  of  them  are  distinctly  American 
in  locale  or  in  theme;  that  is,  most  of  the  plays  of  the 
Provincetown  Players  might  be  laid  anywhere.  Perhaps 
this  points  to  the  fact  that  America  is  all  countries  com- 
bined. It  certainly  points  to  the  fact  that  the  playwrights 
of  the  Playwrights'  Theatre  go  far  afield  for  their  themes. 
The  question  arises  as  to  whether  the  time  devoted  to  the 
American  play  had  not  been  better  spent  in  producing  the 
masterpiece  of  some  foreign  author.  This  question  must, 
Irishly,  be  answered  by  another.  If  the  American  author 
of  one-act  plays  does  not  get  a  chance  to  experiment  in 
an  American  theatre  where  else  can  he  hope  to  find  a 
laboratory  for  developing  his  technique?  Everything 
with  the  trade-mark  "  Made  in  Europe  "  finds  readier 
acceptance  than  a  home-grown  play.  Granted  that  the 
American  one-act  play  is  very  often  not  as  good  as  its 


52      LITTLE  THEATRES  OF  NEW  YORK  CITY 

foreign  contemporary,  how  will  it  ever  improve  unless 
its  author  is  given  a  chance  to  try  his  powers  ? 

It  may  be  said  that  no  theatre  can  be  wholly  an  Ameri- 
can theatre  which  produces  mostly  the  works  of  its  own 
coterie.  This  is  true.  But  the  very  fact  that  the  Prov- 
incetown  Players  give  preference  to  the  American 
author — albeit  the  author  in  question  is  apt  to  be  a  mem- 
ber of  the^r  own  group — is  a  long  step  in  the  right  direc- 
tion, ffhey  have  already  in  their  ranks  several  play- 
wrights of  signal  power,  among  them  David  Pinski. 
whose  plays  have  been  produced  by  Reinhardt :._  Susan 

v^Glaspell,  well  known  as  both  novelist  and  playwright; 
and  j^ugene  O'Neill^Bon  of  the  veteran  actor,  James 
O'Neill.  Eugene  O'Neill  is  original  in  his  themes  and 
in  his  treatment  of  them.  His  one-act  play,  Bound 
East  for  Cardiff,  with  its  unusual  scene-setting,  showing 
the  interior  of  tramp  steamer  with  bunks  ranged  in  tiers 
against  the  wall,  remains  one  of  the  best  things  the 
Provincetown  Players  have  done.  This  play  has  been 
1  sold  to  the  Greenwich  Village  Players.  It  has  also  had 

\  \production  in  several  other  Little  Theatres  throughout 
fthe  country.  The  stark  realism  of  Mr.  O'Neill's  Before 
Breakfast,  with  its  one  character  a  poverty-stricken  nag- 
ging woman,  talking  to  her  husband,'  who  is  supposed  to 
be  shaving  himself  off  stage,  was  a  grizzly  and  impres- 
sive bit  of  realism,  ending  with  the  suicide  of  the  hus- 
band. This  play  has  also  been  sold.  Cocaine,  the  study 
of  a  drug  fiend,  by  Pendleton  King,  was  powerful  though 
repulsive;  while  Suppressed  Desires,  by  Susan  Glaspell 
and  George  Cram  Cook,  was  the  comedy  success  of  the 


THE  PROVINCETOWN  PLAYERS  53 

theatre.  It  also  has  had  production  in  several  other 
Little  Theatres.  Indeed  a  large  percentage  of  the  plays 
tried  out  by  the  Provincetown  Players  have  since  been 
placed  either  in  Little  Theatres  or  in  magazine  or  book 
form. 

In  the  matter  of  scenery  the  Provincetown  Players  are 
far  more  assured  than  in  their  acting.  Considering  the 
size  of  their  stage  they  have  given  some  amazing  effects. 
Notably  in  the  one-act  play,  The  Fog,  with  its  sense  of 
distance,  of  broad  expanse  of  sea  now  partly  revealed, 
now  hidden  by  driving  mists.  The  scene  was  the  work 
of  B.  J.  O.  Nordfeldt.  There  have  also  been  excellent 
examples  of  scenery  without  perspective,  and  some  de- 
lightfully decorative  effects  by  the  Zorachs. 

Plays  produced  during  1916-1917  include: — 

The  Game,  by  Louise  Bryant;  Bound  East  for  Cardiff, 
by  Eugene  O'Neill;  King  Arthur's  Socks,  by  Floyd  Dell; 
Freedom,  by  John  Reed;  Enemies,  by  Neith  Boyce  and 
Hutchins  Hapgood;  Suppressed  Desires,  by  George  Cram 
Cook  and  Susan  Glaspell ;  Before  Breakfast,  by  Eugene 
O'Neill;  Lima  Beans,  by  Alfred  Kreymbourg;  The  Two 
Sons,  by  Neith  Boyce;  Joined  Together,  by  B.  J.  O. 
Nordfeldt;  The  Obituary,  by  Saxe  Commins;  Sauce  for 
the  Emperor,  by  John  Chapin  Mosher;  A  Long  Time  Ago, 
by  Floyd  Dell ;  Bored,  by  John  Chapin  Mosher ;  Fog,  by 
Eugene  O'Neill;  Pan,  by  Kenneth  MacNichol;  Winter's 
Night,  by  Neith  Boyce;  The  Dollar,  by  David  Pinski; 
Ivans  Home  Coming,  by  Irwin  Granich ;  Barbarians,  by 
Rita  Wellman ;  The  Sniper,  by  Eugene  O'Neill ;  The 
Prodigal  Son,  by  Harry  Kemp ;  Cocaine,  by  Pendleton 
King;  The  People,  by  Susan  Glaspell. 


THE  NEIGHBORHOOD  PLAYHOUSE 

(  THE  Neighborhood  Playhouse  was  founded  in  1915 
by  Alice  and  Irene  Lewisohn.  It  is  outwardly  and 
inwardly  one  of  the  most  satisfying  Little  Theatres 
in  this  country.  "Ti  is  situated  oil  Gi1aiid"Stfeel.  It  seats 
411  people,  and  is,  as  its  name  implies,  devoted  to  the 
interests  of  its  neighborhood.  This  theatre  and  the  Hull 
House  Theatre  in  Chicago  represent  the  Little  Theatre 
movement  in  its  sociological  aspect.  This  does  not  mean 
that  they  are  full  of  "uplift"  or  dry-as-dust  drama! 
Far  from  it!  But  it  does  mean  that  they  continually 
place  the  best  in  modern  drama  before  their  public  at 
a  nominal  sum.  Fifty  cents  will  purchase  a  seat  in  the 
orchestra  row  or  the  low-swung  balcony  of  the  Neigh- 
borhood Playhouse/) 

It  is  well  known  that  this  theatre  is  content  to  lose 
rather  than  to  make  money  if  only  its  artistic  and  altru- 
istic end  be  gained.  Its  purpose  is  twofold :  First,  to 
set  before  the  people  of  its  thronging  tenement  district 
plays  they  could  not  otherwise  hope  to  see;  and  also  to 
afford  the  young  people  of  the  neighborhood  a  chance  to 
act  in  plays  and  festivals,  to  give  them  imaginative^timu- 
lus  and  emotional  outlet  after  days  spent  in  store  and 
office  and  factory.  To  the  children  of  the  neighborhood 
it  means  a  place  where  they  can  dance  and  sing  in  com- 
munity festivals,  and  to  the  fathers  and  mothers  a  place 

54 


THE  NEIGHBORHOOD  PLAYHOUSE          55 

where  they  can  witness  wonders  undreamed  of  in  Russia, 
Poland,  Galicia.  It  is  indeed  a  Playhouse,  a  place  for 
recreation  and  neighborhood  delight. 

Associated  with  the  Misses  Lewisohn  on  the  produc- 
ing staff  are  Miss  Agnes  Morgan,  a  playwright,  and  Miss 
Helen  Arthurs,  for  several  years  play  reader  at  the 
Shuberts.  And  from  the  year  of  its  founding  to  the  year 
of  her  death  an  accomplished  actress,  Mrs.  Sarah  Cowell 
Lemoyne,  was  actively  connected  with  this  theatre. 
(The  Neighborhood  Playhouse  is,  with  the  exception  of 
MrT~Ames'  Little  Theatre,  the  best  equipped  theatre, 
large  or  small,  of  which  this  country  can  boast*.  It  has 
provided  superlative  comforts  for.the  actors  in  its  won- 
derfully equipped  dressing  rooms./  And  it  even  betters 
Mr.  Ames'  Little  Theatre  in  its  stage  equipment  in  that 
it  has  the  only  "  horizont "  in  this  country, — that  is,  a 
concave  wall  of  white  plaster  at  the  back  of  the  stage  that 
is  flooded  with  varying  lights  and  can  thus  give  superb 
sky  effects.  A  particularly  fine  effect  was  given  in  the 
first  act  of  Bernard  Shaw's  Captain  Brassbound's  Con- 
version (acted  by  Gertrude  Kingston's  company),  where 
the  sunset  melted  imperceptibly  from  rose  to  lavender 
and  from  lavender  to  a  blue  twilight  impearled  with  mist. 
The  history  of  the  Neighborhood  Playhouse  is  as  full 
of  human  interest  as  the  work  done  within  its  four 
walls,  V^The  Playhouse  grew  out  of  work  done  by  the 
dramatic  clubs  at  the  Henry  Street  Settlement  under  the 
direction  of  the  Misses  Lewisohn.  To  these  clubs  belong 
the  young  people  of  the  neighborhood  who,  being  Jewish, 
had  racially  the  fire,  the  intellectual  hunger,  and  the 


56      LITTLE  THEATRES  OF  NEW  YORK  CITY 

power  of  self-expression  that  makes  for  a  plastic  and 
competent  dramatic  company.  The  Settlement  stage  and 
auditorium  became  too  small  for  the  number  of  working 
people  who  wished  to  participate  as  players  and  audi- 
ence. ^So  further  productions  were  given  in  Clinton  Hall 
on  tfie  Bowery. 

There  were  from  the  first  two  types  of  productions: 
the  play  of  ideas  and  the  festival  play.  In  the  festival 
plays  old  and  immemorially  lovely  stories  were  used, 
Hiawatha,  or  the  Sleeping  Beauty,  with  opportunities  for 
dances  and  group  effects.  In  the  plays  of  ideas  serious 
modern  authors  had  their  say.  From  the  very  beginning 
the  policy  of  meeting  both  these  needs  has  always  ob- 
tained, first  in  the  Henry  Street  Settlement;  then  in 
Clinton  Hall;  and  latterly  in  the  Neighborhood  Play- 
house. And  there  has  always  been  an  eager  audience  for 
both. 

The  first  play  in  Clinton  Hall  was  The  Shepherd,  a 
drama  in  blank  verse,  by  Olive  Til  ford  Dargan,  and  the 
second,  Galsworthy's  The  Silver  Box. 
/Later  the  Neighborhood  Playhouse  was  built,  and  the 
wo!*k  of  the  Neighborhood  Players  continued.)  Each 
month  they  give  a  series  of  special  performances,  usually 
of  one-act  plays.  But  the  Neighborhood  Players  are  not 
the  only  ones  who  act  at  the  Neighborhood  Playhouse. 
Its  hospitable  policy  includes  the  work  of  both  amateurs 
}"  and  professionals.  Guest  artists — famous  stars — come 
there  for  a  series  of  performances  with  their  respective 
companies.  Ellen  Terry,  Gertrude  Kingston,  Ethel  Barry- 
more,  Emanuel  and  Hedwig  Reicher,  David  Bispham, 


p 


THE  NEIGHBORHOOD  PLAYHOUSE,  GRAND  STREET,  NEW  YORK. 


THE  NEIGHBORHOOD  PLAYHOUSE          57 

and  the  late  Eric  Blind  have  acted  to  packed  houses. 
For  these  performances  there  has  been  no  change  in  the 
price  of  seats.  At  certain  seasons  a  locally  famous  Yid- 
dish company  gives  Yiddish  plays,  which  are  the  joy  of 
the  older  immigrants  in  the  neighborhood  who  speak  no 
English,  as  well  as  a  joy  to  immigrants  lately  landed, 
and  similarly  handicapped. 

There  is  never  a  time  when  the  theatre  is  idle.  On 
Sunday  afternoons  there  are  movies  for  five  and  ten 
cents  to  which  whole  families  come  flocking.  Needless 
to  say  these  movies  are  of  a  high  order,  an  antidote  to 
the  blood-and-thunder  cinemas  that  flaunt  their  luridly 
melodramatic  posters  the  length  and  breadth  of  the  East 
Side.  There  are  also  folk  dances,  readings,  and  orches- 
tral concerts.  The  Neighborhood  Playhouse  is  a  home 
of  art  in  many  forms. 

Naturally,  after  its  first  performances,  its  fame  spread. 
People  from  uptown  showed  as  keen  an  interest  in  its 
offerings  as  did  the  people  from  Grand  Street,  with  the 
result  that  the  "  Neighborhood  "  of  the  Neighborhood 
Playhouse  has  widened  to  include  all  of  New  York  that 
looks  upon  drama  as  something  better  than  a  mere  stop- 
gap for  the  hours  between  eight  and  eleven. 

Some  of  the  festivals  produced  at  the  Neighborhood 
Playhouse  have  been  The  Kairn  of  Koridwen;  the  ballet 
Petroushka,  with  music  by  Stravinsky,  and  confetti 
colored  costumes;  and  Jephtha's  Daughter,  a  re-telling  of 
the  Old  Testament  story  through  spoken  word,  dance,  and 
chorus.  The  music  for  Jephtha's  Daughter  was  taken 
from  ancient  Jewish  ceremonials,  and  traditional  chants. 


58      LITTLE  THEATRES  OF  NEW  YORK  CITY 

Indeed  this  whole  festival,  with  its  lyric  feeling,  its  won- 
derful Old  Testament  decorations,  and  its  plastic  group- 
ing, was  one  of  the  finest  achievements  ever  set  before 
Neighborhood  Playhouse  audiences.  For  one  thing,  the 
Neighborhood  Players  looked  the  parts  they  were  taking. 
They  were  acting  a  moving  story  from  their  own  im- 
perishable history,  and  they  lent  to  that  acting  ardency 
and  truth. 

Amongst  the  many  one-act  plays  produced  by  the 
Neighborhood  Players  have  been  A  Marriage  Proposal, 
by  Anton  Tchekoff ;  The  Price  of  Coal,  by  Harold  Brig- 
house;  The  Subjection  of  Keziah,  by  Mrs.  Havelock 
Ellis ;  Black  'Ell,  by  Myles  Maleson ;  The  Glittering  Gate, 
by  Lord  Dunsany;  A  Sunny  Morning,  translated  from 
Quintero  by  Anna  Sprague  MacDonald;  With  the  Cur- 
rent, by  Sch.olom  Asch. 

rThey  seldom  produced  plays  by  Americans;  and 
never,  so  far  as  can  be  ascertained,  plays  interpretative 
of  the  locality  of  the  city  in  which  the  Playhouse  stands? 
The  most  notable  of  all  their  achievements  in  the  pro- 
ducing of  one-act  plays  was  the  almost  startling  success 
won  through  that  "tremendous  trifle,"  A  Night  at  an 
Inn,  by  Lord  Dunsany.  The  Neighborhood  Players  gave 
the  first  production  of  this  play,  termed  by  many  critics 
the  greatest  one-act  play  written  by  any  author  in  the 
last  ten  years.  The  story  of  the  robbed  and  revengeful 
Eastern  god  seeking  his  thieving  victims  when  they  had 
taken  refuge  in  a  lonely  house  set  in  a  still  lonelier 
English  moor,  and  implacably  drawing  them  to  their 
death,  was  portrayed  with  imaginative  power. 


THE  NEIGHBORHOOD  PLAYHOUSE          59 

This  play  was  to  the  Neighborhood  Playhouse  what 
Bushido  was  to  the  Washington  Square  Players,  a  mile- 
stone. Much  of  the  interest  now  manifest  in  the  work 
of  Dunsany  undoubtedly  traces  to  the  stir  created  by 
A  Night  at  an  Inn.  That  memorable  performance  at 
the  Neighborhood  Playhouse  set  people  to  reading,  see- 
ing, and  producing  more  Dunsany  plays. 

The  Neighborhood  Players  and  the  festival  groups 
belong  to  the  amateur  side  of  dramatic  work  at  the  Play- 
house. On  the  professional  side  of  the  work  one  of  the 
most  popular  of  the  yearly  engagements  is  that  of  Miss 
Gertrude  Kingston  and  her  company  from  the  Little 
Theatre  in  London.  Miss  Kingston  appeared  in  reper- 
toire in  both  long  and  short  plays  by  Shaw  and  Dunsany. 
During  the  season  of  1916-1917  she  gave  three  one-act 
plays :  The  Inca  of  Perusalem,  by  an  anonymous  author 
supposed  to  be  Bernard  Shaw ;  The  Queen's  Enemies,  by 
Lord  Dunsany,  and  Shaw's  Great  Catherine.  The  Inca 
of  Perusalem  was  dull;  Great  Catherine  was  amusing; 
while  The  Queen's  Enemies  created  an  impression  only 
second  to  that  created  by  A  Night  at  an  Inn. 

A  full  list  of  the  productions  of  the  Neighborhood 
Playhouse  since  1915  includes  the  following: 

FESTIVALS 

Jephtha's  Daughter,  with  music  by  Lilia  Mackay-Cantell  ; 
A  Thanksgiving  Festival;  Petroushka,  with  music  by  Stra- 
vinsky; The  Sleeping  Beauty,  with  music  by  Tchaikowsky; 
The  Discontented  Daffodils;  The  Shadow  Garden  of  Shut- 
Eye  Town,  with  music  by  Lilia  Mackay-Cantell ;  Hiawatha, 


60     LITTLE  THEATRES  OF  NEW  YORK  CITY 

with  traditional  Indian  music;  The  Goose-Girl,  with  music 
by  Humperdinck;  The  Gift  of  the  Fairies;  The  Jewel  Box, 
with  music  by  Debussy;  The  Kairn  of  Koridwen,  with 
music  by  Charles  T.  Griffes. 

PLAYS 

The  Shepherd,  by  Olive  Tilf ord  Dargan ;  The  Silver  Box, 
by  John  Galsworthy ;  The  W oldies,  by  J.  C.  Hamlen ;  Teth- 
ered Sheep,  by  Robert  Gilbert  Welsh;  Wild  Birds,  by 
Violet  Pearn ;  Womenkind,  by  Wilfred  Wilson  Gibson ;  Ry- 
land,  by  Kenneth  Sawyer  Goodman  and  Thomas  Wood 
Stevens;  The  Price  of  Coal,  by  Harold  Brighouse;  The 
Maker  of  Dreams,  by  Oliphant  Down;  A  Marriage  Pro- 
posal, by  Anton  Tchekoff;  The  Subjection  of  Kesia,  by 
Mrs.  Havelock  Ellis;  The  Glittering  Gate,  by  Lord  Dun- 
sany;  A  Night  at  an  Inn,  by  Lord  Dunsany;  Ghosts,  by 
Henrik  Ibsen;  Lonesome  Like,  by  Harold  Brighouse;  Red 
Turf,  by  Rutherford  Mayne;  Captain  Brassbound's  Con- 
version, by  Bernard  Shaw ;  John  Gabriel  Borkman,  by  Ib- 
sen; The  Shadow,  by  Riccodenci;  Early  Morning,  After 
Burial,  and  Sisters,  by  Isaac  Perez ;  The  Fires  of  St.  John, 
by  Herman  Suderman;  Three  Generations,  by  Ronetta 
Ronano;  An  Enemy  of  the  People,  by  Ibsen;  Great  Cath- 
erine, by  Bernard  Shaw;  The  Queen's  Enemies,  by  Lord 
Dunsany ;  The  Inca  of  Perusalem,  by  an  anonymous  author ; 
The  Married  Woman,  by  C.  B.  Fernald;  Black  'Ell,  by 
Miles  Maleson;  A  Sunny  Morning,  by  Quintero;  Pippa 
Passes,  by  Robert  Browning. 


CHAPTER  III 

THE  LITTLE  THEATRES  OF  NEW  YORK 
CITY   (Continued) 

THE  EAST-WEST-PLAYERS 

THE  East-West-Players  are  an  interesting  group  of 
young  people  who  have  not  yet  arrived  at  having  a  Little 
Theatre;  but  they  are  working  toward  it  and  in  the 
meanwhile  renting  any  theatre  that  they  can  lay  their 
hands  on  for  special  performances  until  a  small  theatre 
can  be  found,  or  until  some  one  interested  in  what  they 
have  to  offer  helps  them  to  their  goal. 

This  company  of  players,  mainly  Jewish,  gave  their 
first  production  in  New  York  in  the  early  Spring  of 
1916.  They  are  not  diletants.  They  are  a  group  drawn 
directly  from  the  working  people.  Teachers  in  primary 
and  grade  schools,  designers,  stenographers,  workers  in 
the  various  trades,  clerks,  and  artisans  are  among  their 
numbers.  Their  work  in  the  theatre  and  for  the  theatre 
must  be  done  after  their  day's  work  is  finished.  For  this 
reason  they  are  one  of  the  most  significant  of  the  many 
groups  of  players  in  New  York  City.  Their  work  is  a 
movement  of  the  people,  by  the  people,  for  the  people. 
They  have  raised  the  money  for  their  productions  by 
having  each  member  of  their  organization  contribute  to 

61 


62      LITTLE  THEATRES  OF  NEW  YORK  CITYi 

the  general  fund.  This  has  meant  actual  self-sacrifice  for 
art.  The  money  gained  through  their  productions  is  to 
be  placed  in  a  theatre-fund  for  the  future  Little  Theatre 
which  they  hope  to  have. 

A  group  of  workers  who  are  also  players  is  not  a 
new  thing,  even  in  New  York.  The  Neighborhood  Play- 
house has  a  group  of  players  who  are  employed  during 
the  day,  but  their  theatre  is  provided  and  their  plays 
selected  for  them.  It  is  not  their  own  money  that  makes 
the  production  possible.  The  idea  of  a  Neighborhood 
Playhouse  came  from  without,  and  worked  back  to  the 
working  people.  The  cultural  influence  of  drama  was 
provided  for  them.  Advantages  were  placed  before 
them,  and  it  was  their  privilege  to  avail  themselves  of 
them. 

With  the  East-West-Players  it  is  quite  different.  With 
them  the  impulse  comes  from  within.  They  are  not 
blessed  with  a  theatre.  They  must  shoulder  their  own 
responsibilities,  and  evolve  their  own  policy.  It  is  highly 
to  their  credit  that  they  have  done  all  these  things  so 
well.  Their  theatre  is  a  definite  expression  of  their  own 
thought,  and  a  new  contribution  to  Little  Theatres  in 
general.  They  are  in  a  measure  to  the  literature  of  the 
Yiddish  stage  what  the  Irish  Players  are  to  the  litera- 
ture of  the  Irish  stage.  But  they  have  no  Yeats  or 
Lady  Gregory  to  lead  them.  They  are  fundamentally 
self-led. 

The  policy  of  this  group  is  expressed  in  its  name — the 
East- West-Players.  The  Jews  are  an  Eastern  people — to 
bring  the  unknown  plays  of  the  East  to  the  people  of 


THE  EAST-WEST-PLAYERS  63 

the  West  is  what  these  players  are  striving  to  do.  By 
accomplishing  this  they  open  doors  on  a  life  and  litera- 
ture, on  a  set  of  customs  and  traditions  that  are  wholly 
unknown  to  the  Western  theatre-goer.  Therein  lies  the 
value  of  the  East-West-Players'  work,  its  stimulation 
and  interest.  Plays  that  would  otherwise  go  unpro- 
duced  or  unheard  of  are  brought  to  light  by  their 
efforts. 

They  began  their  work  in  the  Educational  Alliance 
auditorium  on  East  Broadway,  the  centermost  place 
of  the  intellectual  life  of  the  East  Side.  In  this  vicinity 
Yiddish  papers  are  published  and  Yiddish  books  sold. 
Here  poets  of  the  sweatshop  have  sung  their  sad  songs 
of  labor  and  longing.  Here  are  to  be  found  the  black 
and  white  postcards,  by  Lillien,  depicting  Jewish  life 
in  Russia  and  America,  touching  it  with  fire  and  poetry 
— pictures  as  extraordinary  in  their  poster  effects  as  the 
work  of  Aubrey  Beardsley,  yet  totally  different,  and 
absolutely  original.  This  was  the  locale  in  which  the 
East-West-Players  started,  a  locale  in  which  many  of 
them  live.  East  Broadway  is  to  them  what  Washington 
Square  is  to  the  Washington  Square  Players. 

Their  first  program  consisted  of  four  one-act  plays, 
translated  from  the  Yiddish.  He  and  She,  by  Isaac  L. 
Perez;  and  Colleagues,  by  Zalmon  Libin,  the  most  com- 
mercially popular  of  all  Yiddish  playwrights;  Night,  by 
Sholom  Asch; *  and  The  Stranger,  by  Perez  Hirshbein. 


1  The  East- West-Players  were  the  first  to  bring  the  work  of 
Asch  to  the  American  public,  though  Reinhardt  had  already  pro- 
duced one  of  his  plays  in  Berlin. 


64      LITTLE  THEATRES  OF  NEW  YORK  CITY 

Greatly  encouraged  by  the  success  of  these  plays,  which 
were  repeated  a  number  of  times,  the  East-West-Players 
rented  a  little  uptown  theatre,  the  Berkeley  Lyceum, 
where  they  gave  further  consecutive  performances  of  the 
same  program  with  but  one  change  in  it.  The  Yellow 
Passport  was  substituted  for  He  and  She.  Early  in 
1917  the  Garden  Theatre  was  taken  for  a  few  perform- 
ances, and  a  third  program  produced.  This  consisted  of 
The  Stranger,  Paul  and  Virginia,  by  James  Rorty; 
Night;  and  The  Awakening  of  Narradin,  an  Arabian 
Night's  fantasy,  by  Gustav  Blum,  the  director  of  the 
organization,  and  Elias  Lieberman,  translator  of  The 
Stranger. 

The  Stranger  and  Night  are  the  best  offerings  of  this 
group  so  far.  In  The  Stranger,  a  fantastic  play,  the 
scene  is  laid  in  Russia,  on  a  Sabbath  night,  and  the  story 
is  wrought  around  an  old  Jewish  observance — that  of 
leaving  vacant  a  chair  at  the  table  so  that  if  Elijah  the 
Prophet  were  passing  he  might  come  in  and  break  bread. 
This  he  does,  in  the  house  of  Chayim  David,  a  poor  vil- 
lager. The  atmosphere  of  this  play,  with,  its  mysticism 
and  sacred  beliefs,  was  splendidly  sustained.  Night,  the 
allegorical  play,  by  Sholom  Asch,  was  equal  to  the  best 
of  Andreyeff  in  its  dark  color,  its  power  of  stripping  the 
souls  of  men.  If  the  other  Yiddish  plays  produced  by 
this  organization  do  not  as  yet  equal  The  Stranger  or 
Night  it  is  scarcely  to  be  expected  that  they  should — for 
Night  and  The  Stranger  would  be  rare  finds  in  any  litera- 
ture. Paul  and  Virginia,  a  modern  offering  of  the  occi- 
dental world,  was  commonplace ;  The  Awakening  of  Nar- 


THE  EAST-WEST-PLAYERS  65 

radin  was  excellent  in  color.  Music  was  written  for  it 
by  a  member  of  the  organization;  its  costumes  designed 
by  still  another  member.  This  was  a  good  production; 
but  it  was  not  as  compelling  in  interest  as  the  Yiddish 
plays  because  it  was  familiar,  and  because  any  other  group 
of  players  might  have  given  it.  It  lacked  the  stamp  of 
race. 

Twenty-five  cents  to  one  dollar  was  the  democratic 
price  of  seats  for  this  venture. 

The  East- West-Players  have  now  announced  that  they 
will  continue  to  follow  their  original  intention  of  giving 
Yiddish  plays  only.  All  their  plans  cannot  be  divulged 
in  advance;  but  undoubtedly  the  plays  of  David  Pinski 
will  have  a  place  on  their  programs — Pinski,  whose 
Treasure  was  produced  by  Max  Reinhardt  in  Berlin  in 
1910;  who  is  the  author  of  a  well-known  pamphlet 
Dos  Yiddishe  Drama ;  who  has  written  many  plays  deal- 
ing with  the  hopes  and  struggles  of  the  Jewish  prole- 
tariat. He  has  also  written  a  series  of  poetic  one-act 
plays  dealing  with  the  life  of  King  David,  all  of  which 
may  in  time  form  grist  for  the  mill  of  the  East-West- 
Players.  There  are  other  plays  by  Perez  Hershbein  that 
will  doubtless  be  produced — plays  of  a  darker  color  and 
more  tragic  texture  than  The  Stranger,  Sholom  Asch, 
the  greatest  of  all  Yiddish  dramatists,  will  be  re-intro- 
duced not  alone  as  a  mystic,  but  as  a  creator  of  genre 
studies.  The  one-act  plays  of  Sholom  Aleichem,  the 
Yiddish  Mark  Twain,  may  also  find  their  place  in  East- 
West  programs. 

In  producing  translations  of  Yiddish  plays  the  East- 


66      LITTLE  THEATRES  OF  NEW  YORK  CITY 

West-Players  give  something  that  can  be  found  in  no 
other  place  in  this  country.  It  is  difficult,  their  director 
says,  to  get  enough  of  these  plays,  since  the  Yiddish  The- 
atre has  only  been  in  existence  since  1876.  Yet  in  no 
other  way  can  the  East-West-Players  make  as  distinct 
a  contribution.  Their  translators  should  search  further 
through  Yiddish  literature,  through  folk  tale  and  fable, 
and  then  set  contemporary  playwrights  to  work  on  what 
they  have  found.  The  poets  of  the  East  Side,  men  of 
the  stamp  of  Rosenfeld,  whose  songs  found  echo  in  a 
million  hearts,  might  lend  their  creative  ability  to  this 
movement.  In  the  offices  of  the  Jewish  press  might  be 
found  some  young  dramatist  who  could  put  the  Yiddish 
folk  lore  into  simple  dramatic  form,  if  that  folk  lore  were 
found  for  him.  Immigration  is  another  theme  that  the 
East-West-Players  have  not  dealt  with.  The  comedy 
side  of  immigration  has  been  shown  in  our  theatres; 
but  its  deeper  side,  the  tragedy  of  the  middle-aged  in 
the  New  World,  trying  to  accustom  themselves  to  new 
conditions,  is  untouched.  The  mother  who  cannot  speak 
English  and  who  feels  her  children  growing  away  from 
her  is  an  endlessly  pathetic  figure  that  would  make  a 
strong  appeal. 

Nor  need  the  work  of  the  East-West-Players  be  con- 
fined to  the  modern  world.  The  Old  Testament  is  rich 
in  undeveloped  dramatic  material.  If  the  Song  of  Solo- 
mon has  been  made  into  an  arrestingly  lovely  pantomime 
by  a  dramatist  in  the  Little  Theatre  of  Baltimore,  why 
are  there  not  a  hundred  Biblical  themes  from  which  tne 
East- West-Players  can  choose  their  material?  Nor  is 


THE  EAST-WEST-PLAYERS  67 

this  all.  The  old  religious  plays  of  the  Hebrew  Purim 
are  unknown  to  Western  audiences.  The  East-West- 
Players  might  render  them  familiar.  It  is  not  in  the 
East  of  the  Arabian  Nights  that  their  greatest  talents  lie; 
but  in  the  East  of  Israel,  her  customs  and  traditions. 


BROOKLYN  REPERTORY  THEATRE 

NOT  actually  a  Little  Theatre  movement  in  the  exact 
sense  of  the  word,  yet  undoubtedly  stemming  from  it 
is  the  work  done  by  the  Brooklyn  Repertory  Theatre 
Company,  a  group  of  professionals  of  good  standing 
who,  with  very  simple  scenery,  costumes,  and  accessories, 
have  given  satisfactory  performances  in  the  auditorium 
of  the  Brooklyn  Y.  M.  C.  A.  Their  repertoire  is  made 
up  of  modern  plays,  non-commercial  in  their  appeal. 
These  players  have  made  it  possible  for  Brooklynites  to 
see  much  that  is  interesting  in  drama  without  journey- 
ing to  Manhattan  for  that  privilege.  The  price  of  ad- 
mittance has  been  kept  within  the  limits  of  slender  pocket- 
books.  Some  of  the  plays  given  by  this  company  have 
been:  The  Bank  Account,  by  Howard  Brook;  A  Ques- 
tion of  Morality,  by  Percival  Wilde;  Sweethearts,  by 
W.  S.  Gilbert;  Sabotage,  by  Valcross  and  D'Estoc;  and 
the  Spanish  drama,  Zaragueta. 


68 


THE  NEGRO  PLAYERS 

HAD  not  the  Little  Theatre  movement  fostered  the  new, 
the  original,  the  unusual  things  of  drama  it  is  very  pos- 
sible New  York  never  would  have  seen  the  Negro  Play- 
ers, and  a  stimulating  controversy  would  have  been  lost. 
For  the  Negro  Players,  during  their  first  week's  per- 
formances at  the  Garden  Theatre  and  later  in  an  uptown 
theatre,  were  a  storm  center  for  critics  and  drama  en- 
thusiasts, and  such  storms  make  people  think  about  the 
theatre  in  terms  more  creative  and  constructive  than  is 
their  wont. 

The  Negro  Players  under  the  management  of  Mrs. 
Emilie  Hapgood  and  the  direction  of  Robert  Edmond 
Jones  appeared  in  three  one-act  plays  written  about  their 
own  race  by  Ridgely  Torrence,  the  American  poet.  The 
strength,  beauty,  and  impressiveness  of  these  plays,  The 
Rider  of  Dreams,  Simon  the  Cyrenian,  and  Granny 
Maumee,  were  beyond  question. 

It  was  the  first  time  that  Negroes  had  ever  appeared 
in  plays  interpretative  of  their  own  race.  This  was  a 
significant  fact.  But  it  would  have  been  more  significant 
had  the  plays  been  written  by  an  author  of  their  own 
race,  and  had  the  desire  to  act  in  the  plays  been  a  racial 
desire  expressed  from  within  instead  of  imposed  from 
without.  Then  the  whole  production  would  have  had 

69 


70      LITTLE  THEATRES  OF  NEW  YORK  CITY 

deep  racial  expressiveness.  As  it  was,  it  was  interesting 
as  an  experiment. 

Negroes  have  acted  before  in  New  York.  They  gave 
a  Shakespeare  Tercentenary  performance  of  Othello 
wholly  on  their  own  initiative;  but  the  appearance  of  a 
Negro  company  in  plays  of  Negro  life  was  something 
new  under  the  sun.  One  New  York  critic  declared  that 
the  fine  flavor  of  the  plays  was  lost  through  the  amateur- 
ishness of  the  acting,  and  that  though  the  players  looked 
the  parts  they  impersonated,  they  did  not  sound  their 
depths.  Other  critics  praised  the  acting  for  its  natural- 
ness and  pictorial  qualities.  So  the  war  waged! 

Between  the  one-act  plays  the  Cleft  Cktb  Singing 
Orchestra  gave  genuine  delight.  They  played  the  music 
of  a  Negro  composer,  Rosamond  Johnson,  whose  songs 
and  marches  have  given  pleasure  to  thousands. 


THE  MORNINGSIDE  PLAYERS 

THE  Morningside  Players  were  established  in  the  Fall 
of  1916.  They  are  a  group  of  professionals  and  ama- 
teurs, many  of  whom  come  from  the  vicinity  of  Columbia 
University.  They  are  not  a  Little  Theatre  group;  yet 
have  undoubtedly  been  more  or  less  influenced  by  the 
Little  Theatre  movement.  They  produce  long  plays  and 
one-act  plays  written  by  members  of  their  own  group. 
Sporadic  performances  of  these  plays  have  been  given 
in  various  theatres  of  Manhattan.  So  far  they  have 
struck  no  particularly  significant  note  either  in  dram- 
aturgy, scenery,  or  costumes.  The  most  ambitious  of 
their  offerings,  The  Iron  Cross,  by  Elmer  Reizenstein,  . 
author  of  On  Trial,  was  a  play  protesting  against  the' 
horrors  of  war.  It  was  not  a  memorable  piece  of  work. 
There  is  talk,  however,  of  making  the  Morningside  Play- 
ers into  a  regular  "  Workshop  Theatre  "  group,  'actively 
connected  with  the  classes  of  drama  and  playwriting  in 
Columbia  University, — in  other  words,  of  making  the 
Morningside  Players  into  a  genuine  Columbia  University 
Theatre  group,  in  which  the  players  shall  be  chosen  from 
Columbia  and  Barnard ;  the  scenery  and  costumes  designed 
by  Columbia  and  Barnard  students ;  and  last,  but  not  least, 
the  plays  written  by  the  students  in  the  classes  of  play- 
writing.  Should  such  a  change  take  place,  work  of  genu- 

71 


72      LITTLE  THEATRES  OF  NEW  YORK  CITY 

ine  significance  may  be  looked  for,  since  such  eminent 
authorities  as  Brander  Matthews  and  Clayton  Hamilton 
are  on  the  drama  staff  of  the  University,  the  latter  hav- 
ing a  class  of  would-be  playwrights  seldom  numbering 
less  than  150. 


THE  GREENWICH  VILLAGE  THEATRE 


Herman  Lee  Meader,  Architect. 
THE  GREENWICH  VILLAGE  THEATRE,  NEW  YORK  CITY 

AMONG  the  newest  of  new  Little  Theatres  planned 
for  New  York  is  the  Greenwich  Village  Theatre,  to  be 
run  by  Mr.  Frank  Conroy,  a  graduate  of  the  Washing- 
ton Square  Players. 

For  a  theatre  which  purposes  giving  unusual  ijon^ 
commercial  plays  no  playhouse  in  New  York  will  be  bet- 
ter situated  than  the  Greenwich  Village  Theatre,  tucked 
away  in  a  quaint  part  of  the  city  known  as  Sheridan 
Square.  Richard  Brinsley  himself  would  have  delighted 

73 


74      LITTLE  THEATRES  OF  NEW  YORK  CITY 

in  the  Pomander  Walk  two-story  houses  of  cream  and 
green  and  pinkish  red  that  face  the  theatre  and  that 
are  whimsically  reminiscent  of  the  days  when  Green- 
wich Village  really  was  a  village,  and  when  the  three- 
cornered  grass  plot  in  front  of  them — almost  as  big  as 
a  lace  handkerchief — really  was  the  village  square.  This 
odd  corner  of  New  York,  flavorsome  and  unexpected,  is 
such  an  admirable  setting  to  the  theatre  that  it  will  do 
much  toward  giving  it  vogue.  All  about  live  artists  and 
painters  and  actors — some  of  the  already  famous; 
others  on  the  way  toward  being  so. 

The  exterior  of  the  theatre  will  express  the  neighbor- 
hood traditions  by  recalling  architecturally  the  period  of 
early  colonial  work  in  New  York.  The  fagade  of  the 
theatre  will  be  of  red  brick, .  white  stone,  and  wrought 
iron.  The  Greenwich  Village  Theatre  will  be  like  one  of 
the  old  homes  of  this  quarter,  dignified  and  stately.  The 
main  auditorium  will  be  colonial.  It  will  have  no  boxes. 
There  will  be  a  narrow  balcony  across  the  rear.  The 
four  walls  and  their  diagonal  corners  will  be  symmetrical, 
designed  to  give  the  effect  of  a  large  room  in  a  private 
mansion  rather  than  a  place  of  public  amusement.  The 
walls  are  to  be  in  ivory  white  with  old  blue  drapery,  and 
there  are  crystal  chandeliers.  The  lobby  and  lounge  will 
be  in  Dutch  tile;  the  lounge,  unlike  the  usual  smoking 
room,  will  not  exclude  women.  Indeed  it  is  both  lounge 
and  art  gallery,  for  its  walls  will  be  decorated  with  pic- 
tures painted  by  members  of  the  Art  Colony  of  Greenwich 
Village.  As  soon  as  one  exhibition  ends  another  will 
begin.  It  has  been  the  aim  of  the  theatre  management  to 


THE  GREENWICH  VILLAGE  THEATRE       75 

make  the  Greenwich  Village  Theatre  an  art  center. 
Sunday  night  concerts  at  popular  prices  will  be  given. 
Informal  lectures  and  conferences  on  art,  literature, 
music,  and  the  drama  will  also  be  held.  "  In  fact,"  as 
one  of  the  people  interested  in  the  theatre  says,  "  we  hope 
to  make  our  Little  Theatre  a  teeming  center  of  artistic 
expression  of  every  kind,  showing  in  a  small  way  the 
correlation  of  all  the  arts." 

The  prospectus  of  the  Greenwich  Village  Theatre 
says: 

"There  is  a  certain  portion  of  the  public  to  whom 
the  theatre  means  much  more  than  a  mere  form  of 
casual  entertainment.  The  great  interest  shown  in  the 
recent  experiments  made  by  several  groups  of  semi- 
amateurs  in  the  producing  field  has  proved  beyond  a 
doubt  that  not  only  does  such  a  public  exist,  but  is  an 
enthusiastic  and  an  ever-growing  one;  in  other  words, 
a  public  dissatisfied  with  the  usual  fare  offered  by  the 
commercial  theatre  and  eager  for  something  better,  finer, 
and  more  satisfying  to  its  artistic  taste.  In  view  of  this, 
it  would  seem  that  the  time  is  now  ripe  for  the  permanent 
institution  of  a  small  theatre  thoroughly  progressive  in 
spirit  and  designed  from  first  to  last  to  meet  the  needs 
of  this  portion  of  the  playgoing  public.  It  is  with  this 
end  in  view  that  the  Greenwich  Village  Theatre  comes 
into  being." 

As  to  the  policy :  "  No  set  policy  will  be  adhered  to 
regarding  the  length  of  plays  presented,  thus  affording 
greater  scope  in  the  matter  of  selection.  Plays  by  the 
more  important  European  dramatists  hitherto  unseen  in 


76      LITTLE  THEATRES  OF  NEW  YORK  CITY 

this  country  will  be  given.  Particular  attention  is  being 
paid  to  younger  American  playwrights — this  field  is  full 
of  promise  and  already  some  interesting  discoveries 
have  been  made.  Occasionally  a  classical  play  will  be 
revived. 


NEW  YORK'S  AMATEUR  COMEDY  CLUB 

WHILE  the  Amateur  Comedy  Club,  Inc.,  of  New  York, 
founded  1885,  is  not  directly  influenced  by  Little  The- 
atres, and  does  not  possess  a  theatre  of  its  own,  it  is 
interesting  from  the  point  of  view  of  amateur  dramatic 
work  because  of  the  record  of  its  productions  which  are 
given  in  various  theatres  rented  for  the  occasion.  It  has 
given  six  plays  by  Pinero,  which  is  more  than  any  other 
organization  in  this  country  has  done  with  the  work  of 
this  particular  author.  These  plays  have  included  The 
Amazons,  Sweet  Lavender,  The  Magistrate,  etc. 
Amongst  its  other  productions  have  been  You  Never  Can 
Tell,  and  How  He  Lied  to  Her  Husband,  by  Shaw; 
The  School  for  Scandal  and  The  Critic,  by  ShefTdan; 
London  Assurance,  by  Boucicault ;  Sweethearts,  Engaged, 
etc.,  by  W.  S.  Gilbert.  The  Maister  of  Woodbarrow,  by 
Jerome  K.  Jerome ;  Pantaloon,  by  Sir  James  Barrie  ; 
One  of  Our  Girls,  by  Bronson  Howard;  Held  by  the 
Enemy,  and  All  the  Comforts  of  a  Home,  by  William 
Gillette.  These  productions  repeated  plays  that  had 
already  been  made  familiar  on  the  professional  stage; 
but  in  the  last  few  years  a  genuinely  creative  rather  than 
an  imitative  policy  has  been  adopted  by  the  Comedy 
Club.  They  gave  the  first  production  in  America  of 
Dunsany's  The  Gods  of  the  Mountain,  rendered  memo- 
rable alike  by  its  fine  inscenation  and  its  fine  acting;  a 

77 


78      LITTLE  THEATRES  OF  NEW  YORK  CITY, 

first  performance  of  Austin  Strong's  impressive  Drums 
of  Oudh,  and  of  Cleveland  Moffat's  Greater  Than  the 
Law.  It  also  gave  an  admirable  production  of  Dunsany's 
The  Golden  Doom. 


CHAPTER  IV 

OTHER  LITTLE  THEATRES  OF  THE 
EAST 

THE  RICHMOND  HILL  PLAYERS 

THE  Richmond  Hill  Players  of  Richmond  Hill,  L.  I., 
established  1916-1917,  do  not  as  yet  possess  a  Little 
Theatre;  but  they  will  undoubtedly  possess  one  in  the 
near  future  for  they  are  working  strenuously  and 
successfully  for  that  end.  Pending  the  time  when  they 
have  a  theatre  of  their  own  they  are  using  a  rented  hall 
near  their  interesting  barn  workshop. 

In  taking  this  hall  for  their  temporary  theatre  they 
have  had  to  overcome  all  manner  of  difficulties,  and  they 
have  done  so  with  a  spirit  which  augurs  well  for  their 
future  efforts.  The  hall,  when  not  in  use  for  the  three 
performances  a  month  given  by  the  Community  Players 
of  Richmond  Hill,  is  a  Masonic  Temple.  Scenic  effects 
having  depth  and  verity  have  to  be  produced  on  a  stage 
twelve  feet  wide  and  nine  feet  deep  with  a  proscenium 
measuring  only  twenty-four  feet.  Added  to  this  handi- 
cap there  is  a  drop  curtain  which  goes  with  the  hall  and 
cannot  be  removed.  This  curtain  can  best  be  described 
in  the  words  of  Arthur  Pollock,  literary  director  of 
the  Players,  who  says  that  it  looks  as  if  it  were  painted 
;with  tomato  ketchup. 

79 


8o      OTHER  LITTLE  THEATRES  OF  THE  EAST 

Far  from  allowing  themselves  to  be  discouraged  by 
this  enforced  monstrosity  the  Players  have  turned  it  into 
an  asset  for  educating  their  audience.  It  is  a  clear  case 
of  "  Look  on  that  picture  and  on  this."  When  the 
ketchup  curtain  discloses  the  stage, 'having  scenery  that 
is  simple  in  line  and  lovely  in  color,  the  audience  gets  a 
distinct  impression  of  what  the  Players  are  trying  to  do. 
They  are  trying  to  banish  all  that  the  ketchup  curtain 
stands  for.  The  idea  of  establishing  a  Community  The- 
atre at  Richmond  Hill  grew  out  of  the  success  of  a  trial 
performance  of  Oscar  Wilde's  The  Importance  of  Being 
Earnest,  given  in  the  Winter  of  1915-1916.  The  group 
who  were  later  to  form  themselves  into  the  Community 
Players  had  been  interested  from  the  first  in  the  Wash- 
ington Square  Players  and  their  remarkable  achievements 
in  creating  beautiful  scenery  for  small  cost.  The  Rich- 
mond Hill  Players  decided  to  do  in  a  small  way  for 
their  community  what  the  Washington  Square  Players 
had  done  on  a  larger  scale  for  New  York  City.  There- 
fore they  organized  very  early  in  the  Autumn  of  1916. 

The  group  is  made  up  of  professionals  and  ama- 
teurs, all  of  whom  give  their  services  to  the  theatre  with- 
out remuneration.  This  is  made  possible  because  they 
have  their  performances  every  five  or  six  weeks  instead 
of  every  week.  This  theatre  represents  the  Community 
Players'  avocation,  not  their  vocation. 

The  Community  Players,  heartened  by  the  reception 
of  their  initial  effort  The  Importance  of  Being  Earnest, 
started  a  subscription  list.  Enough  was  secured  from 
this  to  cover  the  first  running  expenses  of  the  "  theatre." 


THE  RICHMOND  HILL  PLAYERS  81 

A  barn  was  hired  for  a  workshop,  office,  and  rehearsal 
room.  Here  scenery  is  painted  and  costumes  made.  The 
Masonic  Temple  was  hired  for  the  performances.  The 
interior  of  this  hall  is  not  so  irritating  as  its  proscenium 
curtain.  The  walls  are  cream  color  and  there  are  fumed 
oak  panels  and  beams,  so  that  when  the  scenery  devised 
by  Ruth  Hambridge  or  G.  B.  Ashworth  is  given  to 
view,  and  the  ketchup  curtain  banished,  there  is  some 
sense  of  completeness.  The  auditorium  seats  342 
people. 

Seventy-five  cents  and  fifty  cents  was  what  the  Com- 
munity Players  asked  for  seats  for  their  first  perform- 
ance. This  price  was  lowered  to  the  democratic  sum  of 
fifty  and  twenty-five  cents  for  the  next  performances 
with  markedly  improved  results.  The  first  audience  was 
complacent;  and  the  house  was  not  filled.  The  second 
audience  was  homogeneous,  and  filled  every  seat  in  the 
hall.  Any  suburb  striving  for  a  Community  Theatre  has 
to  face  the  fact  that  people  say  to  themselves,  "  Oh,  I 
can  go  to  a  show  in  New  York  for  fifty  or  seventy-five 
cents,  and  a  better  show  at  that."  But  at  fifty  and 
twenty-five  cents  this  spirit  does  not  so  easily  arise.  Here 
is  drama — reasonable-in-price-drama — within  easy  reach, 
without  the  trouble  of  commuting.  This  is  the  way  an 
audience  is  caught,  and  held  when  the  work  is  as  meri- 
torious as  that  done  by  the  Richmond  Hill  Community 
Players.  "  Better  a  full  house  at  fifty  and  twenty-five 
cents  than  a  sparsely  filled  auditorium  at  higher  rates," 
said  the  Community  Players,  and  time  has  proved  that 
they  are  right.  The  sale  of  tickets  added  to  the  sub- 


82      OTHER  LITTLE  THEATRES  OF  THE  EAST 

scription  list,  covers  their  running  expenses,  and  leaves 
them  free  from  worry. 

The  accomplishments  of  the  Richmond  Hill  Players 
are  twofold:  they  have  formed  the  nucleus  of  a  Com- 
munity Theatre :  and  they  have  kept  the  spirit  of  this 
theatre  free  and  experimental.  It  is  both  a  Community 
Theatre  and  a  "  try-out  "  theatre.  One  of  the  actresses 
has,  through  her  work  there,  received  an  offer  of  a  pro- 
fessional engagement  from  one  of  the  most  progressive 
and  artistic  of  the  younger  New  York  managers  dis- 
tinguished for  the  worth  of  his  productions. 

A  modern  one-act  play  given  its  first  production  by 
the  Community  Players,  was  purchased  by  a  New  York 
manager.  As  a  side  light  on  "  costs/*  the  manager  in 
question  equipped  this  play  with  a  three-thousand-dollar 
setting.  The  Community  Players  had  put  it  on  to  their 
own,  the  author's,  and  the  visiting  manager's  satisfac- 
tion for  exactly  six  dollars ! 

Some  of  the  plays  in  the  repertoire  of  the  Community 
Players  for  their  first  season  has  been  as  follows : 

Crispin,  by  Le  Sage;  Such  a  Charming  Young  Man,  by 
Zoe  Akins ;  A  House  of  Cards,  Playing  with  Fire,  and  Ac- 
cording to  Darwin,  by  Percival  Wilde;  At  Night  All  Cats 
Are  Gray,  by  Robert  Garland ;  The  Prodigal  Doll,  a  mari- 
onette comedy,  by  Santiago  Rusinol;  A  Bright  Morning  f 
from  the  Spanish  of  Quintero. 


THE  WORKSHOP  THEATRE  OF  YONKERS 

THE  Workshop  Theatre  of  Yonkers  (1917)  is  unique 
in  that  it  is  a  theatre  established  by  women,  and  run  by 
them.  Young  women  are  the  directors  and  the  players, 
the  playwrights,  and  scenic  and  costume  designers.  They 
have  fitted  up  a  pretty  little  playhouse  on  Palisade  Ave- 
nue and  given  several  spirited  productions.  These  pro- 
ductions have  been  such  as  children  and  young  people 
delight  in;  but  like  all  true  fairy  tales  there  has  been 
enough  of  folk  lore  in  them  to  make  their  appeal  uni- 
versal. These  plays  have  been  The  Sleeping  Beauty, 
The  Golden  Goose,  and  The  King  of  Camarand. 

This  theatre  has  no  subscription  system.  It  asks  the 
democratic  price  of  fifty  and  seventy-five  cents  for  its 
performances. 


THE  DRAMA  LEAGUE  PLAYERS  OF  BUFFALO 

THE  Drama  League  Players  of  Buffalo  (1917)  have 
fitted  up  a  small  stage  and  installed  an  adequate  lighting 
system  in  the  Drama  League  headquarters  of  that  city. 
During  1917  its  stage  decorations  have  been  very  simple, 
even  sparse.  No  elaboration  has  been  planned  for.  Next 
season  experimentation  in  scenery  is  to  go  forward.  With 
real  practicality  the  Drama  League  Players  of  Buffalo 
decided  that  instead  of  trying  to  do  too  much  in  any  one 
year  they  would  devote  each  year  a  certain  sum  toward 
accumulating  all  that  is  necessary  for  their  Little  The- 
atre. The  Spring  of  1917  was  therefore  given  over  to 
acquiring  the  stage  and  its  lighting  equipment.  1917- 
1918  will  be  scenery  year,  when  scenery  will  be  acquired. 

So  many  Little  Theatres  try  to  do  too  much  all  at 
once,  and  overreach  themselves.  The  balance  and  far- 
sightedness of  the  Drama  League  Players  of  Buffalo  are 
commendable,  and  make  for  stability.  It  is  an  ama- 
teur group,  with  a  skilful  amateur  as  director.  This 
group  produces  one-act  plays  and  leans  toward  the  pro- 
duction of  work  by  American  rather  than  by  foreign 
playwrights.  Their  first  plays  have  been  The  Florist 
Shop,  by  Winifred  Hawkbridge;  The  Rescue,  by  Rita 
Creighton  Smith;  and  The  Neighbors,  by  Zona  Gale. 

The  activities  of  the  Drama  League  Players  of  Buffalo 
are  not  confined  to  their  own  small  theatre.  The  Players 

84 


DRAMA  LEAGUE  PLAYERS  OF  BUFFALO      85 

go  afield  and  bring  pleasure  to  people  other  than  Drama 
League  members,  as  when  they  presented  Zona  Gale's 
significant  play,  The  Neighbors,  at  the  Buffalo  Light- 
house, for  the  Association  of  the  Blind.  As  their  report 
quaintly  and  succinctly  puts  it :  "  The  Drama  League 
Players  wish  to  be  of  use  to  the  community." 


THE  LITTLE  THEATRE  OF  ROCHESTER 

ROCHESTER'S  Little  Theatre,  founded  by  The  .Drama 
League  in  February,  1917,  is  housed  in  the  hall  of  the 
Fine  Arts  building.  Its  attractive  auditorium,  decorated 
in  black  and  white,  seats  250  people.  The  purpose  of 
the  Little  Theatre  players  is  to  produce  in  a  simple  and 
convincing  manner  interesting  and  important  one-act 
plays  by  the  world's  best  dramatists,  European  or  Ameri- 
can. The  Little  Theatre  frankly  announces  that  it  makes 
no  boast  of  novelty  since  this  idea  is  being  successfully 
carried  out  in  many  other  cities. 

The  Little  Theatre  Players  are  all  amateurs  imbued 
with  the  love  of  drama  and  a  relish  for  hard  work.  So 
far  the  Little  Theatre  has  no  director.  The  Little  The- 
atre Players  stage  their  own  plays  and  design  and  make 
their  own  costumes  and  scenery.  Sincerity  and  sim- 
plicity are  their  watchwords. 

Their  theatre  depends  upon  the  public  for  support. 
There  is  no  subscription  system.  The  best  seats  in  the 
house  are  one  dollar.  The  remaining  sets  are  fifty  cents. 
The  performances  have  been  so  admirable  and  met  with 
such  response  that  the  Rochester  center  of  the  Drama 
League  feels  that  the  founding  of  this  Little  Theatre  is 
the  most  constructive  work  which  they  have  yet  done. 
Among  the  plays  they  have  produced  are  Fancy  Free, 
by  Stanley  Houghton;  Pierrot  of  the  Minute,  by  Ernest 

86 


THE  LITTLE  THEATRE  OF  ROCHESTER     87 

Dowson ;  Riders  to  the  Sea,  by  John  Synge ;  A  Marriage 
Has  Been  Arranged,  by  Alfred  Sutro;  Kayat,  an  Arabian 
Night's  episode,  by  Milton  Bond ;  The  Campden  Wonder, 
by  John  Masefield,  and  A  Good  Woman,  by  Arnold 
Bennett.  The  production  of  the  two  last  plays  was  con- 
sidered by  Rochester ians  the  most  successful  of  the  Little 
Theatre  offerings  from  the  point  of  view  of  art.  The 
Little  Theatre  Players  give  one  performance  every  month. 


THE  PRINCE  STREET  PLAYERS  OF  ROCHESTER 

STILL  another  group  of  amateur  Players  are  in  Roches- 
ter, using  the  Conservatory  auditorium  for  their  theatre. 
They  have  been  organized  under  the  direction  of  Anna 
Wynne  O'Ryan.  These  Players  are  called  the  Prince 
Street  Players.  They  also  give  one-act  plays  by  Euro- 
pean and  American  dramatists.  /They  further  announce 
that  they  will  produce  plays  which  have  not  had  previous 
production,  thus  giving  the  aspiring  young  dramatist  a 
V  chance  to  see  his  work  acted.  /  The  Prince  Street  Players 
have  no  subscription  system'.  Their  well  attended  per- 
formances are  given  once  a  month.  Seats  range  from 
fifty  cents  to  one  dollar.  Their  opening  bill  consisted  of 
The  Noble  Lord,  by  Percival  Wilde;  A  Marriage  Pro- 
posal, by  Anton  Tchekoff ;  A  Play  in  One  Word,  by  Frank 
C.  Egan,  and  the  first  act  of  Lady  Windermere's  Fan,  by 
Oscar  Wilde.  The  Theatre,  which  has  been  remodeled 
from  a  quaint  stable,  seats  260  people.  Other  plays  pro- 
duced by  the  Prince  Street  Players  have  been  Dawn  and 
A  House  of  Cards,  by  Percival  Wilde;  The  Workhouse 
Ward,  by  Lady  Gregory;  The  Supper  Scene  from  Anatol, 
by  Schnitzler;  Duty,  by  Shamus  O'Brien;  The  Locked 
Chest,  by  John  Masefield;  'Sauce  for  the  Emperor,  by 
John  Chapin  Mosher. 


*s 


THE  COMMUNITY  PLAYERS  OF 
MONTCLAIR,  N.  J. 

THE  Community  Players  of  Montclair,  N.  J.,  were 
organized  in  the  Autumn  of  1916.  They  do  not  yet 
own  a  Little  Theatre  of  their  own  and  like  the  Com- 
munity Players  of  Richmond  Hill,  L.  I.,  have  to  use 
local  auditoriums  for  their  efforts  until  a  tiny  playhouse 
is  secured.  Amongst  the  plays  given  by  them  in  the 
Autumn  of  1916  was  a  production  of  Dunsany's  Tents 
of  the  Arabs.  It  had  poetic  costumes,  setting,  and  ren- 
dition. 


89 


THE    NEIGHBORHOOD    PLAYERS    OF 
NEWARK,  N.  J. 

THE  Neighborhood  Players  of  Newark,  N.  J.,  a  simi- 
lar organization,  lean  more  to  American  plays,  and  have 
(given  productions  of  several  plays  by  native  authors, 
notably  The  Noble  Lord,  Playing  'with  Fire,  and  A 
House  of  Cards,  by  Percival  Wilde;  The  Alibi,  by  Wil- 
liam Hamilton  Osborne,  of  Newark;  The  Magical  City, 
by  Zoe  Akins ;  and  plays  by  European  dramatists,  includ- 
ing Rada,  by  Alfred  Noyes;  Sabotage,  by  d'Estoc;  The 
Glittering  Gate  and  the  Lost  'Silk  Hat,  by  Lord  Dunsany. 

The  Neighborhood  Players  have  a  "  studio  theatre," 
with  an  auditorium  designed  along  studio  lines.  All 
seats  are  reserved.  They  are  fifty  cents  and  one  dollar. 
Performances  are  given  three  nights  a  week,  and  the  bill 
changed  weekly.  At  the  Art  Theatre  in  Moscow  the 
audience  is  not  allowed  to  applaud.  At  the  Studio 
Theatre  the  audience  is  requested  n6t  to  break  in  upon  the 
play  with  applause ;  but  to  applaud  only  after  the  curtain 
has  fallen. 


90 


THE  BRIDGEPORT  PLAYERS 

THE  Bridgeport  Players,  organized  early  in  1917,  are 
working  toward  obtaining  a  Little  Theatre.  They  are 
wholly  an  amateur  group.  Their  ultimate  aim,  after  they 
have  established  a  Little  Theatre  in  their  city,  is  to  pro- 
duce good,  wholesome  plays,  and  "  to  perpetuate  and 
uphold  the  best  traditions  of  the  theatre."  This  Little 
Theatre  is  to  be  "  a  theatre  of  the  people,  by  the  people, 
for  the  people." 

Its  first  production  consisted  of  two  plays  meant  tp 
contrast  the  new  and  old  schools  of  comedy.  These  plays 
were  Barrie's  Twelve-Pound  Look,  and  Sheridan's  The 
Rivals. 

Until  such  time  as  the  Little  Theatre  is  built  the  Bridge- 
port Players  are  using  local  theatres  for  the  production  of 
their  plays.  Several  members  of  the  Bridgeport  Center 
of  the  Drama  League  are  also  members  or  associate  mem- 
bers of  the  Bridgeport  Players;  but  the  founding  of  the 
Players  is  not  wholly  a  Drama  League  venture. 

The  Bridgeport  Players  are  divided  into  two  groups — 
an  active  group  which  will  do  active  service  for  the  the- 
atre within  its  four  walls;  and  an  associate  group  who 
forward  the  impulse  through  every  means  in  their  power 
and  who  help  to  sustain  the  Players  financially  and  artis- 
tically by  their  presence  as  audience. 


THE  McCALLUM  THEATRE  OF  NORTHAMPTON 
(MASS.) 

A  THEATRE  where  seats  are  free !  Not  a  private  theatre 
where  a  select  few  are  put  on  an  invitation  list.  Not  a 
college  theatre,  or  an  institutional  theatre,  or  a  work- 
shop theatre,  or  a  settlement  theatre,  or  a  philanthropy; 
but  a  genuine  Little  Theatre  with  a  permanent  company 
and  a  well-known  stage  manager  as  director — a  theatre 
where  any  one  who  loves  the  art  of  the  stage  may  attend 
an  evening  of  poetic  plays  or  Shavian  plays,  or  decora- 
tive plays  as  freely  as  he  may  attend  a  public  library,  or 
an  art  museum.  Only  in  this  case  he  goes  to  see  not  a 
static  art  but  a  living  art — the  art  of  the  theatre.  This 
free  theatre  is  one  of  America's  unique  contributions  to 
the  rapidly  growing  list  of  differentiated  Little  Theatres 
that  we  have  in  our  midst  today. 

The  town  that  boasts  such  a  theatre  is  Northampton, 

Mass.,  a  place  that  Jenny  Lind  called  the  Paradise  of 

America.     The  famous  songstress  spent  her  honeymoon 

there,  and  Paradise  Road  was  named  in  memory  of  the 

compliment  she  paid  the  town.    What  more  natural  than 

that  Paradise  Road  should  be  the  street  on  which  this 

/  free  theatre  is  situated.     It  is  a  gift  of  the  townspeople 

]  from  a  public-spirited  citizen,  Mr.  George  B.  McCallum, 

\  and  it  is  called  after  its  owner,  The  McCallum  Theatre. 

It  exists  solely  to  awaken  public  interest  in  the  finer  things 

92 


McCALLUM  THEATRE  OF  NORTHAMPTON      93 

of  drama.  We  have  free  libraries  to  inculcate  love  of 
literature;  free  art  galleries  to  awaken  a  love  for  the 
best  in  art,  why  not  a  free  theatre  so  that  every  one  can 
know  what  is  being  done  along  the  lines  of  modern  the- 
atre literature  as  well  as  along  the  lines  of  modern 
lighting  and  scenery?  At  any  rate,  this  is  Mr. 
McCallum's  idea  and  he  has  developed  some  remark- 
able results. 

Northampton  has  playfully  been  hailed  as  the  dramatic 
Bayreuth  of  the  United  States  because  although  it  is  a 
small  city  it  possesses  three  forces  that  work  for  drama 
Smith  College,  with  its  fine  yearly  production  of  a  play 
the  admirable  Northampton   Stock   Company — the  on< 
and  only  municipal  theatre  in  America;  and  thirdly,  th< 
unique  McCallum  free  theatre.     Each  of  these  has  its 
own  field.     Mr.  McCallum's  theatre  does  not  compete 
with  the  Northampton  Municipal  Theatre,  because  the 
latter  produces  plays  that  are  in  the  main  Broadway  suc- 
cesses; while  the  plays  given  in  Mr.  McCallum's  Little 
Theatre  are  those  of  Maeterlinck,  Dowson,  Galsworthy, 
and  Synge.     The  McCallum  Theatre  exists  not  for  the 
college  girl  who  has  mental  stimulus  all  the  year  round; 
but  for  the  townsfolk  of  Northampton  in  order  that 
they  may  interest  themselves  in  the  newer  manifesta- 
tion of  theatre  art. 

Mr.  McCallum  believed  that  there  was  enough  dramatic 
talent  lying  dormant  in  the  Connecticut  River  Valley  to 
form  a  group  which  should  be  to  the  Valley  what  the 
Irish  Players  are  to  Dublin — with  one  exception.  The 
Irish  Players  give  plays  of  Irish  life.  Mr.  McCallum 


94      OTHER  LITTLE  THEATRES  OF  THE  EAST 

decided  that  his  players  should  give  plays  by  European 
dramatists  rather  than  by  American  dramatists  because 
the  Northampton  Theatre  is  already  keeping  the  work 
of  American  dramatists  before  the  public.  Thus  the 
policy  of  the  McCallum  Theatre  may  be  said  to  be  a 
"  foreign  policy." 

But  in  spite  of  its  "  foreign  policy  "  anything  more 
democratic  than  this  theatre  is  hard  to  imagine  or  any- 
thing more  original  than  the  way  in  which  the  company 
of  community  players  were  drawn  together.  In  order 
not  to  have  the  company  represent  a  special  social  set 
or  "  group,"  Mr.  McCallum  advertised  in  the  daily 
paper  in  September,  1916,  saying  in  effect  that  all  those 
who  were  interested  enough  in  the  art  of  community 
acting  to  be  willing  to  work  hard  for  it  would  meet  on 
a  certain  evening  to  "  try  out  "  for  parts  with  the  director 
of  the  proposed  Little  Theatre.  Every  one  was  welcome. 
Mr.  McCallum's  name  did  not  appear  in  connection  with 
the  advertisement.  No  one  guessed  that  he  had  any- 
thing to  do  with  it.  How  deep-rooted  the  love  of  drama 
is  was  shown  by  the  result.  Northampton  is  a  conserva- 
tive New  England  town,  of  strong  Puritan  tradition,  but 
seventy  people  answered  the  advertisement,  people  from 
all  ranks  of  life.  Nor  were  they  all  young  people.  Love 
of  drama  is  not  confined  to  the  early  twenties.  The  early 
forties  take  just  as  keen  an  interest  in  it. 

From  the  seventy  applicants  thirty-two  were  selected 
to  form  the  nucleus  of  the  permanent  company.  The 
artist  chosen  as  director  of  the  theatre  was  Francis 
Powell,  well  known  for  his  work  as  stage  manager  with 


McCALLUM  THEATRE  OF  NORTHAMPTON      95 

Sothern  and  Marlowe  and  as  coach  of  the  Harvard  Dra- 
matic Club. 

Merit  was  the  touchstone  of  decision  for  enrolment  in 
the  McCallum  Theatre  company.  Members  were  chosen 
according  to  what  they  could  do,  not  according  to  who 
they  were.  The  company  was  largely  made  up  of  people 
who  had  never  met  before,  and  this  Mr.  McCallum  be- 
lieves does  away  with  self-consciousness.  It  certainly 
does  away  with  class-consciousness,  that  stumbling-block 
of  united  effort !  Very  few  of  the  people  had  had  experi- 
ence in  amateur  dramatics.  To  put  them  through  a 
rigorous  training,  to  get  unity  and  smoothness  of  per- 
formance out  of  elements  new  and  dissimilar  was  Powell's 
"  job."  The  eagerness  with  which  these  problems  were 
attacked  was  a  credit  to  every  one  concerned.  The  open- 
ing performance  showed  team  work,  and  inscenation  equal 
to  the  best  in  Little  Theatre  standards.  People  were 
astonished  at  the  finished  work  that  could  be  done 
by  amateurs  under  professional  guidance.  Yet  it  has 
always  been  Mr.  McCallum's  dictum  that  all  actors 
were  once  amateurs — save  those  who  come  from 
professional  families  where  acting  begins  in  the 
cradle ! 

Since  the  McCallum  Theatre  is  a  free  gift  to  the  public 
no  one  connected  with  it  receives  a  salary  save  the  direc- 
tor, on  whose  shoulders  the  strenuous  part  of  the  work 
falls.  The  scenery,  costumes,  and  properties  are  provided 
by  Mr.  McCallum  as  well  as  the  theatre  itself.  The  the- 
atre occupies  the  top  floor  of  Mr.  McCallum's  residence. 
It  seats  250  people.  Its  woodwork,  beam  ceiling,  latticed 


96      OTHER  LITTLE  THEATRES  OF  THE  EAST 

windows,  and  bench-like  seats  arranged  in  tiers  are  in 
mission  brown. 

Rehearsals  take  place  every  afternoon  and  evening. 
Each  one-act  play  has  its  own  evening  and  its  own  hour 
of  rehearsal.  Strict  attendance  on  rehearsals  is  abso- 
lutely obligatory.  It  is  also  required  that  each  member 
of  the  company  be  a  citizen  or  citizeness  of  Northampton. 
No  casual  members  from  outside  are  admitted. 

Meanwhile  there  was  the  problem  of  how  the  free 
tickets  were  to  be  distributed.  Since  each  member  of 
the  cast  gave  his  or  her  services  to  the  theatre  each  mem- 
ber was  entitled  to  five  tickets,  and  each  member  repre- 
sented some  different  element  in  Northampton.  This 
meant  that  as  many  varying  groups  of  people  as  possible 
received  tickets.  But  to  make  "  certainty  doubly  cer- 
tain "  Mr.  McCallum  had  a  mailing  list  arranged  which 
should  reach  all  Northampton's  townsfolk  in  rotation. 
Thus  the  elements  of  a  free  theatre  were  assured. 

After  the  play  is  over  refreshments  are  served  down- 
stairs, and  people  linger  to  discuss  what  they  have  seen, 
and  as  proof  of  the  socializing  force  of  the  theatre, 
townspeople  meet  fellow  townspeople  whom  otherwise 
they  might  never  have  known,  had  they  not  discovered 
interests  in  common.  Postcards  are  distributed  on  which 
the  audience  is  requested  to  send  in  criticisms  of  the  plays 
or  questions  about  them  or  preferences  for  other  dramas 
which  might  be  produced  in  the  future.  These  postcards 
are  not  signed  in  order  that  expression  of  approval  or 
disapproval  may  be  perfectly  free. 

On  each  program  there  is  a  serious  comedy,  a  farce, 


McCALLUM  THEATRE  OF  NORTHAMPTON      97 

a  poetic  play,  or  a  play  of  ideas.  Sometimes  a  decora- 
tive play  is  substituted  for  a  poetic  play,  that  is,  a  play 
depending  absolutely  on  its  picture  qualities.  One  of  the 
most  successful  of  these  was  a  Chinese  play,  The  Turtle 
Dove,  by  Margaret  Scott  Oliver,  where  the  proscenium 
arch  was  arranged  in  the  outlines  of  a  Chinese  jar,  and 
the  scenes,  exquisite  in  their  coloring,  took  place  on  the 
outside  of  the  jar — like  figures  in  bas-relief. 

Other  plays  of  special  interest,  scenically  and  dramati- 
cally, have  been  The  Book  of  Tobet,  with  severely  simple 
setting  and  Biblical  costumes  rich  in  color ;  Earnest  Dow- 
son's  Pierrot  of  the  Minute,  staged  in  black  and  white, 
the  garden  set  having  black  walls  on  which  fantastic 
white  flowers  were  stenciled.  The  bench,  the  statue,  and 
Pierrot  and  his  lady  love  were  in  white.  To  have  tried 
to  depict  a  real  garden  would  have  crowded  the  small 
stage,  so  a  garden  was  suggested,  and  by  suggestion 
caught  the  spirit  of  the  piece.  Strindberg's  The  Stronger 
had  a  poster  setting,  a  cafe  with  an  oddly  striped  wainscot 
and  above  the  wainscot  were  panels,  each  panel  stenciled 
with  a  bird  in  a  cage. 

Of  the  productions  of  the  McCallum  Theatre  Mr. 
Clayton  Hamilton  has  said :  "  The  acting  is  far  above 
the  average,  and  the  mise  en  scene  is  more  than  usually 
meritorius." 

It  is  to  be  hoped  that  the  time  will  come  when  this 
country  may  have  free  art  theatres  as  well  as  free  art 
museums  and  libraries.  The  McCallum  Theatre  has  led 
the  way  in  this  direction.  It  has  many  excellencies,  and 
so  far  as  can  be  discovered,  only  one  fault.  On  its  nar- 


98      OTHER  LITTLE  THEATRES  OF  THE  EAST 

row  golden-brown  programs  appear  the  names  of  the 
various  one-act  plays ;  yet  the  names  of  the  authors  who 
have  created  these  plays  are  never  given.  Thus  through 
an  evening  people  can  be  left  in  doubt  as  to  whether  they 
are  listening  to  Rudolph  Besier  or  Stephen  Leacock. 

Amongst  the  plays  produced  at  the  McCallum  Theatre 
have  been  Lithuania,  by  Rupert  Brooke;  The  Good 
Woman,  by  George  Middleton;  The  Maker  of  Dreams, 
by  Oliphant  Down ;  Suppressed  Desires,  by  George  Cram 
Cooke  and  Susan  Glaspell;  Pierrot  of  the  Minute,  by 
Arthur  Dowson;  The  Little  Man,  by  John  Galsworthy; 
Roses,  by  Sudermann ;  The  Post  Office,  by  Tagore ;  The 
Stronger,  by  Strindberg. 

Some  account  of  Northampton's  better-known  Munici- 
pal Theatre,  which  is  not  a  Little  Theatre,  may  be  found 
in  the  Appendix. 


THE  LITTLE  THEATRE  OF  PHILADELPHIA 

THE  Little  Theatre  of  Philadelphia,  under  the  direc- 
tion of  Miss  Beulah  E.  Jay,  was  built  by  her  in  1913 
"  for  the  purpose  of  giving  each  season  a  repertoire  of 
the  most  interesting  plays  of  all  types  by  the  most  rep- 
resentative authors ;  revivals  of  old  plays  and  new  plays : 
a  theatre  where  the  finest  traditions  of  the  stage  will  live 
and  be  fostered."  No  Little  Theatre  in  the  United  States 
has  clung  more  tenaciously  to  the  idea  for  which  it  was 
established  than  has  the  Little  Theatre  of  Philadelphia. 

It  is  one  of  the  best  arranged  Little  Theatres  in  this 
country.  Its  auditorium,  charmingly  decorated  in  brown 
and  old  gold,  seats  330  people:  its  adequate  stage  is 
equipped  with  every  new  device  of  the  theatre  save  the 
horizont.  It  has  the  newest  effects  in  lighting  and  inscen- 
ation;  it  has  a  built-in  tank  by  means  of  which  the  whole 
stage  can  be  flooded  with  water.  An  unusual  regatta- 
scene  in  one  play  made  use  of  this  innovation. 

The  permanent  Little  Theatre  company  is  made  up  of 
professionals  and  gifted  amateurs;  while  from  time  to 
time  special  engagements  have  been  played  by  well-known 
companies.  These  Have  included  Annie  Russell  and  her 
company;  Lucien  Bonheur  and  his  company;  Rudolph 
Christian  and  the  German  company  from  the  Irving  Place 
Theatre,  New  York;  as  well  as  the  Washington  Square 
Players. 

99 


ioo    OTHER  LITTLE  THEATRES  OF  THE  EAST 

Both  long  plays  and  one-act  plays  by  American  and 
foreign  authors  have  been  given.  Foreign  authors  have 
achieved  a  greater  number  of  productions  than  have 
American  authors.  Two  original  pantomimes  with 
decorative  scenery  have  been  given.  One  of  these  was 
Yoku-Ki,  by  Florence  Bernstein,  and  the  other  The  King 
of  the  Black  Isles,  by  Sarah  Yarrow.  This  Little  Theatre 
does  not  make  a  point  of  producing  new  plays,  as  do 
many  of  the  other  Little  Theatres;  still  it  has  had  some 
very  interesting  first  performances  to  its  credit,  including 
Tomorrow,  by  Percy  Mackaye,  and  His  Majesty  the  Fool, 
by  Charlton  Andrews. 

Another  point  in  which  the  Little  Theatre  of  Phila- 
delphia differs  from  its  contemporaries  is  in  the  fact 
that  it  has  no  subscription  system.  It  depends  upon  regu- 
lar patrons.  The  price  of  seats  runs  from  fifty  cents  to 
two  dollars. 

The  scenic  effects  are  designed  by  Philadelphia  artists, 
and  are  admirably  done. 

The  repertoire  has  included  plays  by  Bernard  Shaw, 
Henry  Arthur  Jones,  Maeterlinck,  Dunsany,  Ibsen,  Oscar 
Wilde,  Frank  Wedekind,  St.  John  Hankin,  and  Josephine 
Preston  Peabody. 


PLAYS  AND  PLAYERS  OF  PHILADELPHIA 

THE  association  known  as  Plays  and  Players  was 
founded  by  Miss  Emily  R.  Perkins  in  Philadelphia  in 
191 1.  The  organization  is  composed  of  experienced  ama- 
teurs and  a  few  professionals.  They  produce  about 
twenty  plays  a  year  by  European  and  American  dram- 
atists, giving  a  yearly  total  of  fifty  performances^ 
These  performances  are  given  on  their  own  small  stage, 
and  at  various  theatres  rented  for  the  occasion.  They 
are  of  a  uniformly  high  order.  The  Players  have  been 
acting  together  for  six  years,  and  their  work  shows  the 
result  in  its  unity  and  balance. 

The  only  source  of  revenue  comes  from  the  dues  of 
active  and  associate  members,  and  this  amounts  to  five 
thousand  dollars  a  year. 

The  plays  are  produced  under  the  direction  of  different 
members.  Scenery  and  costumes  are  sometimes  designed 
by  students  or  instructors  of  the  Philadelphia  School  of 
Design.  Mr.  J.  Howard  Reber,  now  president  of  the 
Drama  League  of  America,  was  at  one  time  president  of 
Plays  and  Players,  and  Mr.  Henry  B.  Schaffer,  Jr.,  is 
the  secretary  and  general  manager. 

Plays  and  Players  have  recently  purchased  the  site  for 
a  Little  Theatre,  and  the  building  will  be  opened  in  the 
Autumn  of  1917. 

The  stage  will  be  sixty-four  feet  wide  by  twenty-five 

101 


i62    OTHER  LITTLE  THEATRES  OF  THE  EAST 

feet  deep,  having  an  opening  of  thirty  feet,  and  tHe  audi- 
torium, seating  approximately  500,  by  a  simple  process 
may  be  transformed  into  a  level  floor.  There  will  be 
several  rehearsal  rooms,  library,  kitchen,  and  office. 

The  general  scheme  of  architecture  will  be  of  the 
Elizabethan  period. 

Plays  and  Players  have  produced  during  the  past  five 
years  among  many  others,  the  following  plays : 

The  Learned  Ladies,  by  Moliere ;  The  Ideal  Husband,  by 
Oscar  Wilde ;  The  Campden  Wonder,  by  Masefield ;  Noah's 
Flood  and  Nice  Wanton  (XIV  and  XV  Century  Miracle 
and  Morality  Plays)  ;  What  the  Doctor  Ordered,  by  A.  E. 
Thomas ;  What  the  Public  Wants,  by  Arnold  Bennett ; 
Comus,  by  John  Milton;  Master  Pierre  Patelin  (a  French 
comedy  of  1464)  ;  The  Doctor's  Dilemma,  by  G.  Bernard 
Shaw ;  The  Little  Stone  House,  by  George  Calderon ;  The 
Son  and  Heir,  by  Gladys  Unger;  'Op-o'-Me-Thumb,  by 
Frederick  Fenn  and  Richard  Pryce ;  Dolly  Reforming  Her- 
self, by  Henry  Arthur  Jones ;  The  House  Next  Door,  by 
J.  Hartley  Manners ;  The  Post-Office,  by  Rabindranath 
Tagore;  Lithuania,  by  Rupert  Brooke;  The  Contrast  (the 
first  American  comedy),  by  Royall  Tyler;  and  Tents  of  the 
Arabs,  by  Lord  Dunsany. 

In  addition  to  the  plays  just  mentioned,  a  partial  list 
of  the  authors  represented  to  the  present  time  is  as 
follows : 

Lady  Gregory,  Suderman,  Yeats,  Schnitzler,  J.  M.  Bar- 
rie,  Middleton,  Strindberg,  Beulah  Marie  Dix,  Debussy, 
Houghton,  Noyes,  Vrehlicky,  Brieux,  Dunsany,  Mapes, 
Sutro,  Grundy,  J.  Palmer,  Elizabeth  Baker,  and  Tchekoff. 


CHAPTER  V 

THE  LITTLE  THEATRES  OF  CHICAGO 

f    CHICAGO,  the  largest  city  in  the  West,  has  three  Little  \ 
TKeatres,  each  one  having  a  strong  note  of  individuality.    \ 
Taken  separately  they  represent  three  distinct  types  of 
theatres.    Maurice  Browne's  pioneer  Little  Theatre  rep- 
resents the  repertory  art  theatre;  the  Workshop  The- 
atre represents  the  localistic  experimental  theatre;  the 
Hull  House  Theatre  with  the  Hull  House  Players  repre-  j 
sents  the  sociological 


THE  LITTLE  THEATRE  OF  CHICAGO 

these  theatres  Maurice  Browne's  Little  Theatre  I 
was  the  first  to  be  established  in  1911-1912.  ^t  is  located/ 
on  the  fourth  floor  of  the  Fine  Arts  building  on  Michigan 
Avenue,  (us  charming  interior  is  white  outlined  in  gold, 
and  there  are  dark  green  seats.    The  auditorium  is  long 
and  narrow.    The  seating  capacity  is  ninety-one. 

From  the  day  of  its  founding  Mr.  Browne,  in  the  face 
of  seemingly  insurmountable  difficulties,  has  held  to  the 
idea  for  which  this  Little  Theatre  was  established."}It 
was  not  as  easy  to  make  a  success  of  a  Little  Theatre 
in  1912  as  it  is  in  1917.  There  was  no  public  ready  and 

103 


104     THE  LITTLE  THEATRES  OF  CHICAGO 

waitingfor  the  non-commercial  fare  Mr.  Browne  had  to 
offer,  \fcle  had  to  fight  the  early  prejudice  that  labeled  a 
Little  Theatre  "  Dangerous !  Beware  of  Highbrowism." 
It  is  a  thousand  times  easier  to  succeed  with  the  Little 
Theatre  today  than  it  was  when  Mr.  Browne  first  sought 
to  establish  his.  People  have  become  used  to  the  idea  of 
Little  Theatres.  They  are  no  longer  looked  upon  as 
strange  and  impractical*' 

Maurice  Browne's  Little  Theatre  is  thus  described  by 
its  founder :  "  It  is  a  repertory  and  experimental  art 
theatre  producing  classical  and  modern  plays,  both 
tragedy  and  comedy,  at  popular  prices.  Preference  is 
given  in  its  productions  to  poetic  and  imaginative  plays, 
dealing  primarily  whether  as  tragedy  or  comedy  with 
character  in  action.  .  .  .  The  Chicago  Little  Theatre 
has  for  its  object  the  creation  of  a  new  plastic  and 
rhythmic  drama  in  America." 

The  Little  Theatre  is  supported  by  a  membership  of 
some  400  people  who  pay  an  annual  subscription  of  ten 
dollars,  and  by  the  sale  of  seats  to  the  general  public. 
The  subscribers  who  pay  ten  dollars  a  year  are  admitted 
to,  all  performances  of  the  Little  Theatre  Company  with- 
out charge,  and  to  all  other  entertainments  given  in  the 
Little  Theatre  at  half  price.  Admission  is  one  dollar. 
So  admirably  have  the  finances  been  managed  that  the 
Little  Theatre,  which  began  with  an  indebtedness  of 
$10,500,  was  able  to  pay  off  fifty-five  per  cent,  of  its 
debt  after  three  months'  work.  And  this  work  included 
the  production  of  plays  produced  primarily  for  love  of 
art  and  not  for  love  of  gain.  The  plays  were  simply  and 


THE  LITTLE  THEATRE  OF  CHICAGO      105 

beautifully  staged  at  surprisingly  low  cost.  It  is  an 
eagle's  feather  in  the  cap  of  Mr.  Browne  that  eighteen 
performances  were  given — and  well  given — in  his  tiny 
theatre  for  a  total  of  $868.62 ! 

The  staff  and  players  at  the  Little  Theatre  number 
approximately  thirty-five  people.  (The  company  is  semi- 
pro  fessionalT^Ul  those  who  have  completed  two  years' 
consecutive  service  with  the  theatre  receive  a  small  salary 
averaging  ten  dollars  weekly.  During  the  first  three  and 
a  half  years  of  the  Little  Theatre's  existence  no  salary 
was  Jn  excess  of  sixteen  dollars  and  fifty  cents  a  week. 
^The  Little  Theatre  produces  plays  by  European  and 
American  authors^>One-act  plays  and  three  and  four- 
act  plays  have  been  produced  in  about  equal  numbers. 
^Among  the  greatest  successes  of  the  Little  Theatre 
have  been  the  remarkable  production  of  Euripides,  The 
Trojan  Women\thidi  antedated  Granville  Barker's  and 
other  "art0  productions  of  this  time-defying  drama; 
the  beautiful  and  reverent  Christmas  mystery  play  done 
in  silhouette  {and  from  the  point  of  view  of  scenic  art 
Maurice  Browne's  The  King  of  the  Jews,  and  Maurice 
Baring's  Catherine  Parr.  Mr.  Browne  is  stage  director 
as  well  as  moving  spirit  of  the  Little  Theatre  and  C.  Ray- 
mond Johnson  his  art  director!^  Mr.  Johnson  has  de- 
signed the  investiture  for  all  of  the  Little  Theatre's  most 
significant  productions. 

The  Trojan  Women  was  a  triumph  for  the  Little  The- 
atre because  it  brought  the  vasty  deeps  of  that  ancient 
tragedy  into  a  small  playhouse  onto  a  small  stage  and 
yet  gave  the  illusion  of  bigness.  There  was  fine  breadth 


io6      THE  LITTLE  THEATRES  OF  CHICAGO 

and  sweep  to  the  acting;  the  poses  of  the  chorus  were 
plastic  and  pictorial.     Its  stern  simplicity  was  far  more 
moving  than   Granville   Barker's   more   elaborate   pro 
duction. 

The  Little  Theatre  produced  The  Trojan  Women  dur- 
ing the  season  of  1912-1913.  It  was  the  first  produc- 
tion of  this  play  in  America.  It  was  revived  by  the 
Little  Theatre  Company  during  the  season  of  1913-1914 
In  the  course  of  both  these  seasons  it  was  played  in  sev- 
eral other  American  cities  by  the  same  company,  who 
revived  it  again  during  the  season  1914-1915,  and  tourec 
the  country  with  it  from  the  Atlantic  to  the  Pacific  Coast 

The  Trojan  Women  had  one  scene  throughout:  A 
massive  stone  wall  lost  to  view  beyond  the  line  of  the 
proscenium  arch,  formed  the  background.  This  stone 
wall,  jaggedly  cleft  in  the  center,  showed  the  sky  beyond 
Not  only  were  the  massive  squares  of  stone  that  formec 
the  wall  played  on  by  different  lights  as  the  play  pro- 
ceeded; but  the  sky  beyond  the  jagged  cleft  changec 
gradually  from  the  intense  blue  of  full  day  to  the  softer 
colors  of  dusk,  thus  giving  differentiation.  The  red  o1 
the  flaming  city  also  flared  beyond  this  cleft,  and  char- 
acters entering  or  leaving  the  scene  stood  out  in  dark 
silhouette  against  the  fiery  background.  It  was  a  scenic 
triumph  made  possible  largely  through  its  remarkable 
lighting. 

The  Christmas  Mystery  Play  was  given  totally  in  sil- 
houette, with  the  figures  of  the  New  Testament  story 
moving  in  flat  shadow  bas-relief  against  the  curtain. 
This  shadow  play  was  lit  from  the  back.  The  slightest 


Photograph  by  Eugene  Hutchinson 


The  Sermon  on  the  Mount  at  MAURICE  BROWN'S  LITTLE  THEATRE, 
CHICAGO. 

From  Moderwell's  The  Theatre  of  To-day  (Lane).    By  permission. 


Part  of  the  Auditorium  of  THE  HULL  HOUSE  THEAIRE,  CHICAGO. 


THE  LITTLE  THEATRE  OF  CHICAGO      107 

miscalculation  of  distance  or  of  lighting  would  have 
wrought  havoc  with  it;  but  it  was  from  first  to  last 
superbly  done.  Looking  at  it  one  felt  that  this  was 
perhaps  the  only  way  in  which  the  story  of  the  New 
Testament  could  be  told  without  offense.  The  characters 
were  not  substantial  flesh  and  blood,  but  figures  of 
strange  mystery,  moving  as  in  a  dream. 

Mr.  Johnson's  work  as  a  colorist  was  seen  to  advan- 
tage in  his  costume  effects  for  Maurice  Browne's  King 
of  the  Jews.  Here  color  became  a  symbol,  as  in  the  harsh 
red  and  gold  of  the  Roman  guard.  The  costume  of  Judas, 
a  sinister  muddy  green  combined  with  muddy  lavender, 
gave  his  vivid  red  hair  and  beard  a  startling  effect. 
Caiphas  was  curiously  effective  in  purplish  gray  and 
ochre.  The  Little  Theatre  is  fortunate  in  its  decora- 
tions. The  banquet  hall  scene,  designed  for  Maurice 
Baring's  Catherine  Parr,  was  memorable  for  its  greenish- 
blue  banquet  table  and  greenish-blue  high-back  banquet 
chairs  set  against  the  background  of  heavy  bluish-purple 
curtains.  These  curtains  parted  to  display  a  flat  Rein- 
hardtesque  wall  of  apple  green.  Still  another  strange 
and  regal  effect  was  attained  through  a  Little  Theatre 
design  of  purple  banquet  chairs  and  table  placed  against 
the  background  of  dark  green  hangings  that  parted  on 
the  flat  wall  flooded  with  yellow  light. 
4j£  was  a  dictum  of  August  Strindberg's  that  no  Little 
Theatre  with  a  small  stage  could  ever  present  outdoor 
scenes  successfully.  The  Chicago  Little  Theatre  has 
shattered  this  idea  by  a  design  made  by  its  art  director 
for  a  midsummer  wood.  This  design  was  recently  ex- 


io8      THE  LITTLE  THEATRES  OF  CHICAGO 

hibited  in  New  York.  It  showed  a  scene  flooded  with 
the  bluish  white  of  moonlight.  There  was  a  shallow 
stage  and  a  back  drop  of  faint  bluish  white.  In  the  cen- 
ter of  this  back  drop  was  a  great  creamy  midsummer 
moon,  round  and  low-lying,  just  coming  up  over  the  rim 
of  the  midsummer  dusk.  One  great  dark  branchless  tree 
trunk  soared  up  beyond  the  proscenium  arch,  and  was 
lost  to  view.  To  look  at  this  scene  was  to  feel  that  in 
a  moment  Titania  and  her  fairy  revelers  would  appear. 
It  was  of  magic  loveliness,  yet  simplicity  itself/^ 

Mr.  Browne's  Little  Theatre  has  been  a  potent  influ- 
ence in  the  art  of  the  West  and  its  players,  many  of 
whom  are  now  appearing  in  other  Little  Theatres,  are 
spreading  the  non-commercial  gospel  for  which  he  stands. 

The  repertory  of  the  Chicago  Little  Theatre  has  in- 
cluded the  following  plays: 

The  Trojan  Women  and  Medea,  by  Euripides ;  Hedda 
Gabler  and  Rosmersholm,  by  Ibsen;  Creditors  and  The 
Stronger,  by  Strindberg;  Anatol,  by  Schnitzler;  The  Happy 
Prince,  by  Oscar  Wilde,  dramatized  by  Lou  Wall  Moore 
and  Margaret  T.  Allen;  Delphine  Declines,  by  Leonard 
Merrick,  dramatized  by  Oren  Taft;  The  Pixy,  The  Moth- 
ers, and  The  Subjection  of  Kezia,  by  Mrs.  Havelock  Ellis ; 
On  Bailees  Strand  and  The  Shadowy  Waters,  by  W.  B. 
Yeats ;  The  Philanderer,  by  George  Bernard  Shaw ;  Women- 
kind,  by  W.  W.  Gibson;  Joint  Owners  in  Spain,  by  Alice 
Brown ;  Catherine  Parr,  by  Maurice  Baring ;  The  Maker 
of  Dreams,  by  Oliphant  Down;  Mr.  and  Mrs.  P.  Roe, 
by  Martyn  Johnson;  The  Fifth  Commandment,  by  Stanley 
Houghton ;  The  Constant  Lover,  by  St.  John  Hankin ;  Jael, 
by  Florence  Kiper  Frank;  The  Lost  Silk  Hat,  by  Lord 
Dunsany;  Columbine  (also  produced  as  a  puppet  play),  by 


THE  LITTLE  THEATRE  OF  CHICAGO      109 

Reginald  Arkell;  The  Deluded  Dragon  (a  puppet  play),  by 
Harriet  Edgerton  and  Ellen  Van  Vo&enburg,  and  The  Chi- 
cago Little  Theatre  Passion  Play  (in  pantomime  and  in 
silhouette). 

Most  of  the  above  plays  were  produced  at  The  Little 
Theatre  for  the  first  time  in  America,  many  for  the  first 
time  on  any  stage. 


THE  WORKSHOP  THEATRE  OF  CHICAGO 

CERTAINLY  no  Little  Theatre  in  the  United  States  gets 
the  work  of  its  theatre  group  more  surely  and  quickly 
before  the  public  than  does  the  Workshop  Theatre  of 
Chicago,  a  Little  Theatre  with  an  enthusiastic  following 
and  with  a  strong  note  of  individuality  in  its  efforts. 

The  Workshop  Theatre  opened  in  igiii._  Its  policy  is 
to  give  first  performances  only.  It  will  produce  only 
plays  written  by  Chicago  authors,  acted  by  Chicago  ama- 
teurs, with  scenic  effects  and  costumes  designed  by  Chi- 
cago artists.  No  others  need  apply!  The  Workshop 
Theatre  is  absolutely  localistic  and  glories  in  the  fact. 
The  programs  are  given  one  week  in  each  month,  run- 
ning six  consecutive  nights. 

The  Workshop  Theatre  began  without  any  money — 
merely  a  printed  announcement  that  it  intended  to  be 
an  experimental  theatre  where  ideas  could  be  worked 
out  in  actual  practice.  The  theatre  would  finance  itself 
through  two  groups,  one  composed  of  active  and  the  other 
of  associate  members.  The  dues  for  membership  were 
exceedingly  low.  Active  members  included  all  those  who 
wanted  to  write  plays,  act  in  plays,  or  produce  plays : 
also  all  those  who  wanted  to  experiment  with  scenery, 
properties  and  costumes.  For  these  members  the  initia- 
tion fee  was  five  dollars,  with  monthly  dues  of  one  dollar. 
These  dues  entitled  the  members  to  two  tickets  for  the 


THE  WORKSHOP  THEATRE  OF  CHICAGO    in 

program  of  the  month  and  as  many  guest  tickets  at  fifty 
cents  as  they  cared  to  use. 

Associate  members,  were  to  pay  monthly  dues  of  one 
dollar,  which  entitled  them  to  two  tickets  for  the  program 
of  the  month  and  as  many  guest  tickets  as  they  cared  to 
use  at  fifty  cents  each. 

These  were  the  rates  outlined  in  the  Workshop 
Theatre's  first  prospectus  and  they  have  not  changed 
since. 

Applications  to  join  the  Workshop  Theatre  poured  in. 
How  speedily  people  became  interested  is  attested  by  the 
fact  that  after  one  year's  work  the  Workshop  Theatre 
had  100  active  members,  and  100  associate  members. 
It  has  entirely  financed  itself.  There  is  no  deficit.  More- 
over, it  runs  straight  through  the  year,  Summer  and 
Winter.  It  is  the  only  Little  Theatre  on  record  that  does 
this.  No  one  connected  with  the  theatre  receives  any 
salary  whatsoever. 

While  the  Workshop  Theatre  is  essentially  an  amateur 
theatre  it  numbers  several  professionals  in  its  actors 
and  its  members  include  both  known  and  unknown 
playwrights.  Amongst  the  former  may  be  mentioned 
Alice  Gerstenberg,  author  of  Overtones  and  Alice  in 
Wonderland;  Mary  Aldis,  author  of  'Plays  for  Small 
Stages;  Kenneth  Goodman  and  Ben  Hecht,  well-known 
one-act  play  dramatists. 

The  Workshop  Theatre  produces  one-act  plays  and 
pantomimes.  Occasionally  a  full  evening  is  given  of  one 
author's  work — an  exceedingly  interesting  experiment. 
The  artists  most  actively  connected  with  the  theatre  are 


ii2      THE  LITTLE  THEATRES  OF  CHICAGO 

J.  Blanding  Sloan  and  Charles  P.  Larsen.  Most  of  the 
stage  designs,  whether  simple  or  exotic,  are  the  work  of 
Blanding  Sloan,  who  combines  a  keen  sense  of  color 
values  with  an  equally  keen  sense  of  economy.  It  is 
interesting  to  note  that  this  theatre  in  fourteen  months 
has  given  twelve  new  performances,  has  produced  thirty- 
one  new  plays.  Ten  performances  of  three  one-act  plays 
each  have  been  given  for  $2,000.  And  this  $2,000  in- 
cludes rent,  light,  printing,  scenery,  costumes,  and  acces- 
sories. The  costumes  and  scenery  are  designed  and  made 
in  the  Workshop  Theatre's  studios. 

The  auditorium  of  the  Little  Theatre  which  the  Work- 
shop Players  have  arranged,  seats  eighty  people  normally ; 
but  it  can — and  often  does — without  undue  crowding 
seat  100  people.  The  stage  measures  seventeen  by  fifteen 
feet.  The  proscenium  arch  is  twelve  feet  high. 

Every  one  connected  with  the  theatre  has  a  free  hand 
whenever  his  or  her  work  is  under  way.  The  Work- 
shop welcomes  "  the  dramatist  seeking  new  effects,  and 
the  radical  in  stagecraft,  who  will  be  given  a  chance  to 
prove  his  ideas,  working  with  fellow  artists  and  assist- 
ants, mutually  interested  in  testing,  under  favorable  con- 
ditions, one  another's  efforts  to  secure  variety  and  beauty 
along  new  lines." 

The  producing  of  the  play  as  well  as  the  acting  of  the 
play  is  divided  among  the  members.  Usually  an  author 
produces  his  own  play,  though  this  custom  does  not 
always  obtain.  The  same  group  of  players,  numbering 
from  twelve  to  eighteen,  appear  in  the  consecutive  plays 
of  one  week's  bill  while  the  next  group  is  rehearsing. 


THE  WORKSHOP  THEATRE  OF  CHICAGO    113 

This  enables  the  audience  to  see  each  player  in  several 
parts. 

Plays  tried  out  on  the  little  stage  of  the  Chicago  Work- 
shop Theatre  have  since  been  acted  at  many  other  Little 
Theatres.  One  of  them  was  given  by  the  Washington 
Square  Players;  another  by  the  Workshop  Theatre  in 
New  York;  still  others  at  various  Little  Theatres  in  the 
East  and  West. 

The  Workshop  Theatre  of  Chicago  is  essentially  an 
original  and  practical  theatre.  From  the  first  it  has  been 
a  theatre  of  "  deeds  not  words."  It  has  not  talked  about 
getting  a  thing  done;  it  has  done  it.  There  is  nothing 
sporadic  in  its  work.  It  pushes  evenly  toward  its  goal. 
It  makes  certain  promises  and  fulfils  them.  It  is  a  hive 
of  industry  and  of  unflagging  energy,  and  it  deserves  its 
popular  as  well  as  its  artistic  success.  It  puts  artist,  play- 
wright, and  actor  in  touch  with  their  public  at  a  minimum 
cost  and  at  a  minimum  expenditure  of  time  and  effort. 

The  repertoire  of  this  admirable  Little  Theatre  has 
included  the  following  plays : 

1916 

Brown,  by  Maxwell  Bodenheim  and  William  Saphier; 
The  Home  Coming  and  The  Wonder  Hat,  by  Ben  Hecht 
and  Kenneth  Sawyer  Goodman;  Ten  Minutes,  by  Oren 
Taft,  Jr. ;  Pierrot  in  the  Clear  of  the  Moon  (a  pantomime 
by  Gretchen  Riggs)  ;  An  Idyll  of  the  Shops,  by  Ben  Hecht 
and  Kenneth  Goodman;  A  Man  Can  Only  Do  His  Best,  by 
Kenneth  Goodman ;  The  Red  Flag,  by  Kenneth  Goodman ; 
The  Hero  of  Santa  Maria,  by  Ben  Hecht  and  Kenneth  Good- 
man; Dregs,  by  Ben  Hecht;  Civilisation,  by  Elisha  Cook; 
Snow-White,  by  Marie  L.  Marsh;  The  War  Gamely  Alice 


iH      THE  LITTLE  THEATRES  OF  CHICAGO 

Gerstenberg  and  Rienzi  de  Cordova ;  The  Magnet,  by  Mary 
Corse ;  The  Man,  by  Oren  Taft,  Jr. ;  The  Pot-Boiler,  by 
Alice  Gerstenberg;  The  Lullaby,  by  Louise  Hubbard. 

1917 

Poet's  Heart,  by  Maxwell  Bodenheitn;  The  Children  of 
To-Morrow,  by  Maude  Moore-Clement;  How  Very  Shock- 
ing, by  Julian  Thompson;  Mrs.  Margaret  Calhoun,  by  Ben 
Hecht  and  Maxwell  Bodenheim;  Skeletons  Out  of  the 
Closet,  by  Elisha  Cook;  You  Can't  Get  Away  From  It,  by 
Frederick  Bruegger;  Rumor,  by  Frederick  Bruegger;  Out 
of  the  Dark,  by  Donovan  Yeuell;  Tonsils,  by  Marie  L. 
Marsh;  No  Sabe,  by  Elisha  Cook;  Where  But  in  America!, 
by  Arthur  Munro;  Banbury  Cross,  by  Frederick  Bruegger. 


THE  HULL  HOUSE  THEATRE 

THE  Hull  House  Theatre,  the  first  and  most  important 
settlement  theatre  established  in  the  United  States,  is 
an  example  of  the  Little  Theatre  with  sociological  aspects. 
By  far  the  greater  number  of  plays  given  in  this  theatre 
by  the  Hull  House  Players  have  a  definite  social  idea 
back  of  them.  They  are  constructive  plays.  This  does 
not  mean  that  the  smiling  face  of  the  muse  of  comedy 
is  turned  away  from  the  Hull  House  Theatre,  or  that 
plays  are  not  given  there  which  depend  on  their  sheer 
beauty  of  effect.  There  is  room  for  Ben  Jonson's  Sad 
Shepherd  and  W.  S.  Gilbert's  lively  Engaged,  or  Shaw's 
You  Never  Can  Tell.  But  in  the  main  the  plays  pro- 
duced by  that  very  capable  and  interesting  group,  the 
Hull  House  Players,  are  dramas  voicing  the  problems 
and  unrest  and  passionate  strivings  of  today,  the  adjust- 
ments and  readjustments  of  modern  life.  Galsworthy, 
Ibsen,  Masefield,  Sowerby,  Kenyon,  and  St.  John  Ervine 
are  the  authors  whose  plays  best  express  what  the  Hull 
House  Theatre  stands  for.  It  is  interpretative  of  strug- 
gle, of  the  knowledge  of  bitter  inequalities,  of  valiant 
aspirations. 

The  theatre  seats  230.  Its  plain  interior  has  walls  of 
dull  red  brick.  The  proscenium  curtain  is  dull  red  with 
a  decorative  border.  There  is  a  balcony  but  no  boxes. 
There  are  frescoes  on  all  sides,  mural  paintings  filled  with 
the  ideas  which  dominate  the  theatre's  productions.  The 

"5 


ii6      THE  LITTLE  THEATRES  OF  CHICAGO 

young  Lincoln  is  seen  at  work  on  one  panel;  while  on 
another,  his  white  beard  blowing  in  the  wind,  is  Count 
Leo  Tolstoy  and  his  plow. 

The  Hull  House  Players  are  a  group  of  amateurs  with 
professional  standards,  who  work  during  the  day,  and 
devote  their  leisure  hours  to  acting,  under  the  direction  of 
Laura  Dainty  Pelham. 

The  organization  was  founded  in  JU^QG  and  has  con- 
tinued ever  since.  The  interest  of  the  members  is  as 
keen  as  in  the  beginning.  For  a  long  time  membership 
in  the  company  was  limited  to  fourteen.  But  recently 
this  limit  has  been  set  aside,  and  the  Players  are 
besieged  with  applications  from  ambitious  amateurs 
eager  to  join  their  ranks.  Talent  combined  with  a  capac- 
ity for  hard  and  eager  work  is  the  touchstone  of  ad- 
mittance to  the  ranks  of  the  Hull  House  Players. 

The  price  of  seats  in  the  Hull  House  Theatre  ranges 
from  twenty-five  to  fifty  cents.  The  audiences  are  com- 
posed partly  of  the  people  of  the  neighborhood,  and 
partly  of  people  from  uptown  with  whom  it  has  become 
a  custom  to  dine  in  the  Hull  House  coffee  house  before 
attending  the  performance  of  the  Hull  House  Players. 

The  Hull  House  Players  use  simple,  unobtrusive  scen- 
ery. Now  and  again  elaborate  sets  are  designed  for  them 
as  in  the  third  and  fourth  scenes  of  Shaw's  Great 
Catherine,  designed  by  J.  Blanding  Sloan  and  Charles 
P.  Larsen,  who  have  also  designed  scenery  for  the  Work- 
shop Theatre  in  Chicago.  In  the  main,  however,  the 
Hull  House  Players-  place  more  stress  on  the  acting  of 
their  plays  than  on  stage  decorations. 


THE  HULL  HOUSE  THEATRE  117 

The  work  of  the  Players  is  so  good,  so  sincere  and 
unstriving,  that  some  one  has  aptly  said  it  is  like  the 
work  of  a  genuine  folk  theatre.  The  fame  of  the  Players 
has  spread  far  beyond  the  confines  of  their  own  theatre. 
They  often  play  engagements  at  colleges,  at  country 
clubs,  and  give  performances  for  various  out  of  town 
organizations,  as  well  as  special  performances  in  other 
theatres. 

The  money  earned  by  the  Players  is  partly  put  back 
into  the  theatre  to  defray  running  expenses;  and  partly 
used  for  deserving  causes.  The  money  earned  by  the 
Players  during  1912-1913,  amounting  to  $3,600,  was 
spent  by  the  Players  on  a  European  tour.  The  Players 
visited  London,  the  Shakespeare  country,  Paris,  Holland, 
and  spent  six  days  in  Ireland,  where  they  gave  a  per- 
formance at  Dublin  Castle  under  the  patronage  of  Lord 
and  Lady  Aberdeen. 

Among  the  innovations  of  the  Players  was  a  four 
nights'  run  of  one-act  plays  by  Chicago  authors.  These 
plays  included  The  Other  Dan,  by  Oren  Taft,  Jr.;  Case 
No.  34,  by  Mary  Aldis;  The  Poem  of  David,  by  Ken- 
neth S.  Goodman  and  Ben  Hecht;  Mr.  and  Mrs.  P.  Roe, 
by  Martin  Johnson.  The  first  three  of  these  plays  were 
produced  by  the  Hull  House  Players  for  the  first  time 
on  any  stage.  Rutherford  and  Son,  by  Githa  Sowerby, 
received  its  first  production  in  Chicago  by  the  Hull  House 
Players;  The  Walking  Delegate,  by  Hilda  Satt,  and 
Punishment,  by  Louise  Burleigh  and  Edward  Bierstadt, 
also  received  their  first  production  by  the  Hull  HOUSQ 
Players. 


ii8      THE  LITTLE  THEATRES  OF  CHICAGO 

Mrs.  Pelham  considers  that  the  greatest  successes  of 
the  Players  have  been  made  in  Galsworthy's  Justice, 
Kenyon's  Kindling,  and  Lady  Gregory's  Irish  plays. 

While  the  Hull  House  Players  are  the  dominating 
factors  of  the  Hull  House  Theatre,  they  are  not  the  only 
players  who  tread  its  boards.  Like  the  Neighborhood 
Playhouse  in  New  York,  the  Hull  House  Theatre  has 
other  activities  going  on  beneath  its  roof.  Italian,  Rus- 
sian, and  Greek  companies  appear  there  from  time  to 
time,  giving  plays  in  their  own  tongue.  There  is  a  Puppet 
Theatre  for  children,  run  by  the  Marionette  Club,  which 
gives  fairy  plays  for  children.  There  is  also  a  Children's 
or  Young  People's  Theatre  which  gives  performances 
every  Saturday  afternoon.  When  the  plays  produced 
are  for  young  people,  then  such  dramas  as  Josephine  Pea- 
body's  The  Piper,  Housman  and  Barker's  Prunella, 
Shakespeare's  Midsummer  Night's  Dream  and  Twelfth 
Night  are  given.  The  Piper  was  extraordinarily  well 
staged,  with  costumes  jocund  in  color  and  posteresque 
scenery.  A  whole  series  of  matinees  for  children  have 
been  given  on  Saturday  afternoons,  with  an  admittance 
fee  of  five  cents.  The  children  came  in  eager  hordes, 
proving  they  would  rather  spend  their  five  cents  on  actual 
drama  than  on  the  movies.  Among  the  plays  produced 
at  these  matinees  were  adaptations  of  The  Sleeping 
Beauty,  The  Frog  Prince,  'The  Golden  Goose,  The  Shoe- 
maker and  the  Elves,  The  Bird  with  a  Broken  Wing, 
made  by  residents  of  Hull  House.  Also  produced  at 
these  matinees  were  Where  Love  Is,  by  Leo  Tolstoy; 
The  Christmas  Guest,  Nimble  Wit  and  Fingerkin,  an4 


THE  HULL  HOUSE  THEATRE  119 

The  Gooseherd  and  the  Goblin,  by  Constance  D'Arcy 
Mackay. 

It  would  take  volumes  to  include  all  the  plays  given  in 
the  Hull  House  Theatre.  A  partial  list  of  the  plays 
given  by  the  significant  Hull  House  Players  is  here 
appended,  since  the  Players  are  the  chief  jewel  in  the 
theatre's  crown. 

A  Mountain  Pink,  by  Morgan  Bates  and  Elwyn  Barren ; 
Engaged,  and  Pygmalion  and  Galatea,  by  W.  S.  Gilbert; 
Kerry,  by  Boucicault;  School,  by  Robertson;  The  Sad 
Shepherd,  by  Ben  Jonson;  Trelawney  of  the  Wells,  by 
Pinero;  You  Never  Can  Tell,  by  Shaw;  The  Amazons,  by 
Pinero ;  The  Devil's  Disciple,  by  Shaw ;  Pillars  of  Society, 
by  Ibsen;  The  Palace  of  Truth,  by  Gilbert;  The  Liar,  by 
Foote;  The  Slave,  by  Towse;  The  School-mistress,  by 
Pinero;  The  Silver  Box,  by  Galsworthy;  Justice,  by  Gals- 
worthy ;  The  Pigeon,  by  Galsworthy ;  Kindling,  by  Kenyon ; 
The  Tragedy  of  Nan,  by  Masefield;  Riders  to  the  Sea,  by 
Synge ;  and  the  following  plays  by  Lady  Gregory :  Spread- 
ing the  News,  Workhouse  Ward,  Rising  of  the  Moon,  Gra- 
nia  and  Dervogillia.  Also  Mixed  Marriage  and  Magnani- 
mous Lover,  by  St.  John  Ervine ;  Punishment,  by  Burleigh 
and  Bierstadt ;  Victims,  by  Edward  Lowrey ;  Great  Cather- 
ine, by  Shaw;  Old  Letters,  by  Bronson  Howard;  The 
Drone,  by  Rutherford  Mayne;  The  Neighbors,  by  Zona 
Gale ;  The  Leadin'  Road  to  Donegal,  by  Seumas  MacManus ; 
How  He  Lied  to  Her  Husband,  by  Bernard  Shaw ;  Marse 
Covington,  by  George  Ade ;  Manacles,  by  H.  K.  Moderwell ; 
By-Products,  by  Joseph  Medill  Patterson;  The  Importance 
of  Being  Earnest,  by  Oscar  Wilde ;  The  Man  of  Destiny,  by 
Shaw ;  Rosalind,  by  J.  M.  Barrie ;  Mr.  Sampson,  by  Charles 
Lee ;  Rutherford  and  Son,  by  Githa  Sowerby ;  Hazel  Kirke, 
by  Steele  Mackaye. 


CHAPTER  VI 

OTHER  LITTLE  THEATRES  OF  THE 
WEST 

THE   PLAYHOUSE  OF  LAKE   FOREST,    ILLINOIS 

THE  Playhouse  of  Lake  Forest,  111.,  a  constructive 
Little  Theatre,  was  established  in  the  Summer  of  1911 
by  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Arthur  Aldis.  It  is  interesting  not  only 
for  the  pioneer  work  it  does  but  also  because  it  repre- 
sents a  dwelling  house  turned  into  a  theatre,  a  thing  that 
any  town  can  copy — any  town,  that  is,  that  has  initiative 
and  love  of  art. 

Next  door  to  the  house  in  which  Mrs.  Aldis  lives  was 
a  small  frame  house  set  invitingly  in  the  midst  of  lawn 
and  trees.  The  partitions  and  ceilings  of  this  house  were 
pulled  out;  the  lean-to  kitchen  made  into  a  stage;  dress- 
ing-rooms were  added,  and  behold,  a  theatre!  It  was 
dubbed  "The  Playhouse."  It  seats  100  people.  Its 
interior  decorations  are  in  two  tones  of  brown. 

Here  every  Summer  since  1911  a  group  of  gifted  ama- 
teurs who  make  their  home  at  Lake  Forest,  act  in  the 
plays  and  design  the  scenery  and  costumes.  Most  of  the 
scenic  work  has  been  done  by  Raymond  Johnson,  Mrs. 
Aldis,  and  Allen  Phillbrick.  Many  of  the  plays  are 

121 


122    OTHER  LITTLE  THEATRES  OF  THE  WEST 

written  by  the  players  themselves ;  still  others  translated, 
or  made  for  the  occasion;  while  adaptations  from 
short  stories  in  current  magazines  have  been  fairly 
frequent. 

There  is  no  subscription  system  at  the  Playhouse.  Nor 
are  seats  to  be  obtained  by  the  general  public.  Admis- 
sion is  by  invitation  only. 

The  Playhouse  and  the  Lake  Forest  Players  are  a  fine 
example  of  community  work.  They  have  had  few  frets 
and  jars  such  as  beset  the  part  of  amateurs  working  with- 
out a  director.  For  there  is  no  director  at  the  Lake 
Forest  Playhouse.  The  final  results  are  obtained  through 
letting  the  amateur  actor  get  under  the  skin  of  his  part, 
and  interpret  it  as  he  feels  that  it  should  be  interpreted. 
Two  rules  are  posted  in  the  green  room:  Keep  Your 
Temper  and  Return  Your  Manuscript. 

As  to  the  selection  of  plays,  the  Lake  Forest  Players 
strive  to  give  their  audiences  plays  that  they  will  not 
be  likely  to  see  in  any  commercial  playhouse.  Since  the 
stage  of  the  Playhouse  is  small,  static  plays — plays  in 
which  the  action  is  mental  rather  than  physical — are 
chosen  in  preference  to  any  other.  Plays  with  a  plot 
which  necessitates  a  great  deal  of  action  are  not  in  favor 
with  the  Lake  Forest  Players.  Neither  are  "  punch  " 
plays  with  their  requisite  emotional  acting.  It  is  the 
belief  of  Mrs.  Aldis,  as  it  is  with  a  growing  number  of 
Little  Theatre  enthusiasts,  that  the  static  drama,  the 
drama  of  the  soul,  is  the  most  intense  of  all.  This,  of 
course,  is  bound  to  remain  a  mooted  question.  Certainly 
it  makes  things  easier  for  the  dramatist  if  he  escapes  the 


PLAYHOUSE  OF  LAKE  FOREST,  ILLINOIS    123 

scene  a  faire,  which  is  always  the  most  difficult  to  write, 
and  with  a  play  dealing  with  "  soul "  the  dramatist  can 
always  escape  from  having  "  plot."  On  this  battle-ground 
the  intellectual  wars  of  the  Little  Theatre  will  be  waged 
during  the  next  decade. 

The  settings  for  the  Playhouse  are  for  the  most  part 
realistic  rather  than  suggestive.  Along  these  lines  some 
excellent  effects  have  been  given,  telling  in  their  sim- 
plicity. As  example,  the  setting  for  Mrs.  Aldis'  play 
Extreme  Unction,  designed  by  Mrs.  Aldis,  showed  a  bed 
in  a  hospital  ward.  On  three  sides  of  the  bed  were 
screens  hung  with  antiseptic  sheets.  Against  this  white 
background  the  characters  of  the  play  stood  out  as  if 
in  sharp  bas-relief  as  they  made  their  exits  or  entrances. 

The  policy  as  to  choice  of  plays  has  materially  influ- 
enced the  acting  of  the  Lake  Forest  Players.  Unity, 
simplicity,  and  naturalness  are  what  they  strive  for.  They 
do  not  try  to  rival  the  professional  stage  in  any  way. 
What  they  do  strive  to  give — and  what  they  succeed  in 
giving — is  a  straightforward,  sincere  rendering  of  the 
parts  intrusted  to  them.  Several  times  the  Lake  Forest 
Pfeyers  have  given  performances  at  Little  Theatres  in 
other  cities,  and  always  this  unstriving  quality  in  their 
work  has  met  with  appreciation.  Commenting  on  their 
performance  at  the  Toy  Theatre  in  Boston,  H.  T.  Parker 
of  the  Boston  Transcript  had  this  to  say — and  it  explains 
the  best  effects  of  any  group  of  truly  creative  amateurs : 

'  Time  and  again  amateurs  attain  simplicty  because 
they  do  not  suspect  intricacy,  and  truth  because  they  see 
it  and  embody  it  in  their  acting  with  no  veils  of  habit. 


124    OTHER  LITTLE  THEATRES  OF  THE  WEST 

method,  or  precedent.  Given  histrionic  instinct,  aptitude, 
and  observation,  they  act  with  ease,  freedom,  and  variety, 
and  with  full  self -surrender  to  their  parts.  If  the  means 
are  not  the  professional  means  they  do  their  office  which 
is  to  bring  the  personages  to  life  in  the  terms  of  the 
play.  Acting  for  themselves  in  their  own  way,  they  are 
not  weighted  with  self-consciousness,  tradition,  or  imita- 
tive effort." 

The  policy  of  the  Playhouse  in  producing  new  and 
fresh  material  along  the  line  of  one-act  plays  instead  of 
repeating  plays  that  have  already  been  worn  threadbare 
in  commercial  theatres  cannot  be  too  heartily  commended. 
Plays  that  have  thus  been  worn  threadbare  challenge  the 
memory  of  the  audience  with  comparisons  that  can  sel- 
dom be  to  the  credit  of  the  amateur.  People  remember 
how  Ethel  Barrymore  did  this  or  that  and  compare  her 
work  with  the  work  of  the  amateur.  It  is  a  wise  Little 
Theatre  that  adheres  to  the  principle  of  producing  plays 
not  seen  on  the  professional  stage.  In  doing  so  its  work 
gains  immeasurably  in  vigor  and  freshness. 

Many  of  the  plays  produced  by  the  Lake  Forest  Play- 
ers are  now  obtainable  in  book  and  pamphlet  form,  Mrs. 
Aldis'  Plays  for  'Small  Stages  being  in  wide  use  and 
itself  explanatory  of  the  workings  and  beliefs  of  this 
distinctive  Little  Theatre. 

Some  of  the  plays  produced  by  the  Lake  Forest  Players 
have  been  Tradition,  by  George  Middleton ;  The  Village,  by 
Octave  Feuillet ;  Pierrot  of  the  Minute,  by  Arthur  Dowson ; 
The  Four  Plusher s,  by  Cleaves  Kinkead;  In  the  Pasha's 
Garden,  by  Frances  Shaw;  By-Products,  by  J.  M.  Patter- 


PLAYHOUSE  OF  LAKE  FOREST,  ILLINOIS    125 

son;  The  Other  Voice,  by  Sydney  W.  Fairbanks;  Mrs.  Pat 
and  the  Law,  Extreme  Unction,  and  Temperament,  by 
Mrs.  Arthur  Aldis;  Sacred  Ground,  by  Giacosa;  Which 
One?,  by  Paul  Bourget;  America  Passes  By,  by  Kenneth 
Andrews. 


THE  PRAIRIE  PLAYHOUSE 

FROM  gin  to  Galsworthy,  from  soddenness  to  beauty, 
from  a  saloon  to  a  Little  Theatre — this  is  the  record  of 
Galesburg,  111.,  a  record  forever  unique  in  the  construc- 
tive annals  of  Little  Theatres  in  the  United  States;  a 
record  that  makes  Galesburg  proud  of  itself,  and  other 
people  proud  of  Galesburg,  and  of  the  work  done  there 
by  J.  A.  Crafton,  Abby  Merchant,  and  Mark  Reed,  three 
drama  enthusiasts  who  made  a  dream  come  true  against 
odds. 

If  genius  be  "  an  ardor  of  the  soul "  then  it  was  noth- 
ing less  than  genius  to  vitalize  the  idea  of  a  Little  The- 
atre in  a  small,  indifferent,  somewhat  somnolent  Western 
town,  undaunted  by  lack  of  interest,  lack  of  cash,  and  lack 
of  a  suitable  theatre  building.  But  these  theatre  enthusi- 
asts made  up  their  minds  that  Galesburg  needed  and 
should  have  such  a  theatre,  and  they  let  nothing  stand  in 
the  way  of  their  determination.  They  did  not  expect  to 
make  money  out  of  the  venture;  but  they  did  expect  a 
chance  to  try  their  hands  at  the  things  each  one  of  them 
wanted  most  to  do.  They  expected  nothing  but  a  living 
wage,  and  a  small  living  wage  at  that.  They  were  pos- 
sessed— even  obsessed — by  the  idea  of  what  such  a  theatre 
could  mean  to  a  community.  It  could  bring  all  the  finer 
things  of  the  big  city  to  the  little  city  whose  population 

126 


Above,  THE  WHITE  HOUSE  SALOON,  GALESBURG,  ILL.,  as  ;jt  v 
it  was  remodeled  into 

Below,  THE  PRAIRIE  PLAYHOUSE  as  it  is  today. 


THE  PRAIRIE  PLAYHOUSE  127 

was  about  25,000,  and  whose  powers  of  appreciation  lay 
dormant,  waiting  the  quickening  touch  that  just  such  a 
theatre  would  be  able  to  give. 

The  only  available  building  for  this  experiment  that 
could  be  afforded,  in  fact  the  only  adequate  vacant  build- 
ing to  be  found  anywhere  in  Galesburg,  was  a  notorious 
structure  bearing  the  paradoxical  title  of  the  White 
House  Saloon.  White  House  it  may  have  been  called; 
but  black  with  evil  was  its  reputation.  It  had  been  a  gin 
place  of  the  lowest  type,  a  place  where  two  murders  had 
been  committed,  and  where  gambling  and  licentiousness 
had  been  rampant,  a  place  morally  so  plague-ridden  that 
the  idea  of  any  rehabilitation  seemed  inhibited.  Yet  it 
is  proof  of  the  tremendous  power  of  drama  that  such  a 
building  could  be  made  into  one  of  the  most  lovely  Little 
Theatres  to  be  found  anywhere  in  the  Middle  West.  Of 
all  miracles  wrought  by  Little  Theatre  workers  this 
seemed  one  of  the  most  wonderful,  for  it  represents 
order  coming  out  of  disorder :  upon  destruction  the  fine 
flower  of  construction  growing  and  thriving. 

Until  the  coming  of  the  Little  Theatre  Galesburg  was 
a  town  that  seldom — if  ever — had  even  so  much  as  a 
first  class  "one  night's  stand."  Now  the  very  best  of 
modern  drama  flourishes  in  its  midst,  made  possible 
through  intelligent  leadership  and  the  awakened  public 
spiritedness  of  the  community. 

Mr.  Crafton  is  a  young  college  man,  a  graduate  of 
Knox,  which  is  in  Galesburg.  After  graduation  he  acted 
and  taught;  then  took  a  special  course  in  the  drama  at 
Harvard,  where  he  imbued  two  fellow  students  with  the 


128    OTHER  LITTLE  THEATRES  OF  THE  WEST 

possibilities  of  a  Little  Theatre  in  Galesburg.  He  went 
to  Galesburg,  selected  the  only  site  within  reach  of  the 
trio's  slender  resources  and  the  work  began. 

There  was  everything  to  do,  including  the  renovation 
of  the  building,  its  painting,  inside  and  out,  and  the  in- 
stallation of  its  heating,  lighting,  and  stage  equipment. 
The  Three  Musketeers  of  Drama  faced  these  difficulties 
with  a  combined  capital  of  $1,050,  which  sum  had  to 
last  an  entire  season  and  finance  the  plays  as  well  as  give 
the  theatre  its  start. 

The  downstairs  part  of  the  saloon  was  made  into  a 
charming  theatre  auditorium  seating  120  people.  It  had 
white  woodwork,  brown  walls,  seats  the  color  of  the  wall, 
carpet  and  curtains  of  dark  green.  The  upstairs  gam- 
bling hall  was  made  into  dressing  rooms  and  business 
offices.  Completed,  this  theatre  was  the  place  which,  in 
the  words  of  Miss  Merchant,  "  must  support  itself  and 
us/'  It  was  further  decided  to  ask  seventy-five  cents  for 
seats;  to  give  four  performances  of  a  new  bill  every  two 
weeks,  and  to  call  the  organization  The  Prairie  Players. 

Besides  managing  the  theatre,  the  Three  Musketeers 
had  to  train  the  community  actors,  and  from  them  evolve 
the  Prairie  Players.  Miss  Merchant  was  stage  director; 
Mr.  Reed  art  and  business  director ;  Mr.  Craf ton  leading 
man.  Between  the  three  of  them  they  managed  every 
bit  of  work  which  went  forward  in  the  theatre.  There 
was  no  subscription  list.  That  is,  no  one  was  asked  to 
subscribe  for  tickets.  The  best  that  could  be  given  was 
set  before  the  public,  and  the  public  instantly  responded. 
They  not  only  flocked  to  the  theatre  but  they  lent  the 


THE  PRAIRIE  PLAYHOUSE  129 

theatre  management  anything  they  happened  to  need  in 
the  way  of  rugs,  furniture,  portieres,  and  general  proper- 
ties. It  can  safely  be  said  of  the  Prairie  Playhouse  that 
it  has  accomplished  more  for  less  money  than  any  Little 
Theatre  in  the  United  States. 

With  only  the  scantest  sums  to  draw  upon,  the  scen- 
ery was  remarkably  atmospheric  and  remarkably  differ- 
entiated. Its  very  simplicity  was  an  asset.  For  the  first 
act  of  Galsworthy's  The  Pigeon  the  walls  were  a  neutral 
gray.  There  was  a  wide  window  at  back  opening  on  a 
night  sky  faintly  powdered  with  stars.  The  furniture 
in  the  room  was  neutral  tinted.  A  fire  glowed  redly  on 
the  hearth.  There  was  a  three-legged  red  stool  near  by. 
"  And  when  Ann  entered  and  flung  off  her  bright  red 
cape,"  writes  Miss  Merchant,  "  the  whole  room  started 
into  unity  and  life.  It  was  a  singularly  satisfying  set, 
and  cost  us  $3.25."  In  another  set  a  room  with  green- 
gray  walls  looked  toward  an  expanse  of  sea,  where,  as 
twilight  came  on,  the  intermittent  flash  of  a  lighthouse 
lamp  could  be  seen.  Lord  Dunsany's  Glittering  Gate  was 
staged  with  a  cyclorama  effect  and  the  new  lighting — the 
first  time  Galesburg  had  ever  seen  either  of  these  two 
scenic  innovations. 

How  well  the  acting  went,  and  how  well  the  whole 
theatre  went,  is  attested  by  the  fact  that  at  the  end  of 
its  first  season  the  Drama  League  Center  of  Galesburg 
bought  out  the  plant  for  $1,000,  raising  this  money 
through  selling  theatre  bonds  in  denominations  of  $10 
each,  with  interest  at  6  per  cent.,  payable  semi-annually. 
Miss  Merchant  and  Mr.  Reed  went  East  to  undertake 


I3o    OTHER  LITTLE  THEATRES  OF  THE  WEST 

other  dramatic  work,  and  Mr.  Crafton  remained  as 
director  of  the  Prairie  Players.  So  the  Prairie  Playhouse 
js  now  owned  by  the  community,  and  operated  by  the 
community. 

From  the  first  the  policy  of  the  Prairie  Playhouse  was 
to  produce  the  best  plays,  one-act  or  four-act,  by  Euro- 
pean and  American  authors.  Since  the  theatre  started 
it  has  given  first  productions  of  five  plays  by  American 
authors.  Besides  this  the  Prairie  Playhouse  wishes  to 
foster  local  playwrighting,  to  give  Illinois  playwrights  a 
significant  opportunity  for  a  hearing.  Of  course  Illinois 
is  not  the  only  state  that  will  be  considered,  since  the 
Prairie  Playhouse  is  always  glad  to  consider  new  manu- 
scripts by  American  authors ;  but  for  a  one-act  play  deal- 
ing with  life  in  the  Upper  Mississippi  Valley  the  Play- 
house offers  a  prize  as  follows : 

"  The  best  one-act  play  .  .  .  the  Prairie  Playhouse 
will  produce  carefully  and  artistically;  will  pay  the  author 
ten  dollars  per  night  for  every  night  of  production  (three 
nights  guaranteed)  ;  will  reserve  no  rights  over  the  play 
after  production,  and  will  use  its  influence  to  get  the 
play  before  a  larger  public.  ...  Is  there  not  in  your 
experience  some  situation,  some  event,  some  family, 
which  is  typical  of  this  section  of  the  country  (the  Upper 
Mississippi  Valley)  and  which  interests  you  to  the  extent 
of  your  telling  the  story  in  dramatic  form?" 

The  desire  to  picture  the  life  of  Illinois  truly  and 
dramatically  has  always  been  with  the  Prairie  Players 
since  the  foundation  of  the  Playhouse.  Their  opening 
prospectus  said :  "  The  Prairie  Playhouse  hopes  to  be- 


THE  PRAIRIE  PLAYHOUSE  131 

come  recognized  as  a  Galesburg  institution.  In  certain 
cities  of  Great  Britain  noteworthy  results  in  dramatic 
art  have  been  achieved  under  the  influence  of  the  "  little 
theatres."  Companies  of  actors,  drawn  from  the  towns- 
people, have  been  sent  to  neighboring  cities  and  to  Amer- 
ica, and  plays  dealing  with  local  life,  written  for  these 
theatres,  are  now  widely  identified  with  the  names  of  the 
cities  in  which  they  were  first  produced,  and  the  result 
has  been  that  these  cities  have  made  reputations  as  cen- 
ters of  art  as  well  as  of  industry. 

"  In  somewhat  the  same  way  the  Prairie  Playhouse 
hopes  to  create  in  and  about  Galesburg  an  interest  in  the 
work  of  the  theatre  strong  enough  to  assemble  a  group 
of  players  and  to  stimulate  the  dramatization  of  the  life 
of  this  section.  There  is  a  rich  vein  of  dramatic  ma- 
terial, as  yet  untouched  in  the  life  of  the  Upper  Missis- 
sippi Valley.  We  have  had  dramas  of  the  Golden  West 
and  of  the  Great  Divide;  of  the  New  England  Home- 
stead; of  the  Southern  Plantation;  but  no  one  has 
attempted  plays  dealing  with  the  life  of  the  great  corn 
and  harvest  fields,  the  coal  mines,  or  the  quaint  settle- 
ments along  the  river  banks  of  the  Middle  West.  The 
Prairie  Playhouse  sees  in  such  variety  of  occupation  and 
environment  the  possibility  of  a  group  of  *  Galesburg 
Plays/ 

"  Consequently,  although  the  Playhouse  will  be  glad  to 
receive  all  original  plays  with  the  hope  of  producing  them, 
it  is  particularly  desirous  of  plays  dealing  with  the  life 
of  this  section,  and  promises  every  help  that  it  can  give 
in  preparing  them  for  production.  It  extends  an  invita- 


132    OTHER  LITTLE  THEATRES  OF  THE  WEST 

tion,  also,  to  every  one  finding  entertainment  from  the 
stage  to  co-operate  at  the  '  little  theatre '  as  actors  or 
audience,  or  as  helpers  in  the  work  of  production.  For 
the  theatre  in  its  necessity  of  representing  every  kind  of 
life  has  a  use  for  every  kind  of  ability." 

During  its  second  season  the  Prairie  Playhouse  began 
to  co-operate  even  more  extensively  with  the  citizens  of 
Galesburg.  At  Christmas  time  Mr.  Crafton  in  connec- 
tion with  the  Drama  League  and  the  Woman's  Club  pro- 
duced a  Christmas  fantasy  which  was  given  free  to  the 
children  of  the  town. 

As  the  fame  of  the  Prairie  Playhouse  spreads  dele- 
gations from  surrounding  towns  buy  out  the  theatre  on 
certain  nights.  There  is  no  doubt  of  either  its  finan- 
cial or  artistic  success. 

Among  the  plays  produced  by  the  Prairie  Playhouse 
have  been  the  following: 

1915-1916 

At  Slovsky's,  by  Winifred  Hawkbridge;  The  Glittering 
Gate,  by  Lord  Dunsany ;  Sea  Pride,  by  J.  A.  Crafton,  Abby 
Merchant  and  Mark  Reed  (first  production)  ;  The  Chimes, 
by  Elizabeth  McFadden;  Her  Husband's  Wife,  by  A.  E. 
Thomas;  Dad,  by  Maxwell  Parry;  Pierrot  of  the  Minute, 
by  Ernest  Dowson ;  The  Edge  of  the  World,  by  Albert  Hat- 
ton  Gilmer;  The  Pigeon,  by  John  Galsworthy;  The  Bank 
Account,  by  Howard  Brock;  Death — A  Discussion,  by  H. 
Woodruff;  One  Word  Play;  Eugenically  Speaking,  by  Ed- 
ward Goodman. 

1916-1917 

'At  Slovsky's,  by  Winifred  Hawkbridge;  The  Rose,  by 
Mary  Macmillan;  The  Terrible  Meek,  by  Charles  R.  Ken- 


THE  PRAIRIE  PLAYHOUSE  133 

nedy;  Candida,  by  G.  B.  Shaw;  The  Stranger  Star,  by 
J.  A.  Crafton  (first  production)  ;  The  Dear  Departed,  by 
Stanley  Houghton;  The  Noble  Lord,  by  Percival  Wilde; 
The  Poet  Writes  a  Song,  by  Howard  Stedman  (first  pro- 
duction) ;  The  Bear,  by  Anton  Tchekoff;  The  Great  Divide, 
by  William  Vaughn  Moody;  The  March  of  Truth,  by 
Katherine  Searle  (first  production)  ;  America  Passes  By, 
by  Kenneth  Andrews ;  The  Lower  Road,  by  Charles  Mather 
(first  production). 


THE  LITTLE  PLAYHOUSE  OF  ST.  LOUIS 

THE  Little  Playhouse  of  St.  Louis  is  significant  as  a 
theatre  of  high  aims  in  which  the  company  is  strictly 
"  professional."  All  of  the  Little  Playhouse  Players  have 
had  professional  experience,  in  such  companies  as  those 
of  Sothern  and  Marlowe,  Faversham  and  Ben  Greet. 
Several  of  the  Players  are  "  Little  Theatre  Graduates  " 
if  one  may  coin  the  term :  that  is,  they  have  served  their 
apprenticeship  in  the  best  Little  Theatre  companies,  such 
as  the  Portmanteau  Company,  the  Little  Theatre  of  Chi- 
cago, and  the  Little  Theatre  in  Philadelphia.  Thus  they 
bring  to  the  St.  Louis  Playhouse  technical  equipment  and 
a  real  knowledge  of  the  workings  of  the  intimate  stage. 

When  it  became  known  that  there  was  to  be  a  Little 
Theatre  in  St.  Louis,  a  Little  Theatre  with  a  professional 
company,  applications  to  join  its  working  force  poured  in 
in  such  numbers  that  it  showed  clearly  how  eager  the 
professional  is  for  a  chance  to  develop  his  powers  rather 
than  his  pocketbook  if  he  can  only  secure  that  chance. 
It  showed  that  love  of  acting  as  an  art  burns  just  as 
strongly  today  as  it  ever  did,  and  that  the  people  of  the 
theatre  are  eager  to  serve  the  theatre  uncommercially  if 
only  given  the  opportunity.  It  was  known  that  the  Little 
Playhouse  of  St.  Louis  could  not  pay  large  salaries.  But 
this  did  not  deter  a  host  of  actors  and  actresses  from 


THE  LITTLE  PLAYHOUSE  OF  ST.  LOUIS    135 

wanting  to  join  its  company.  Four  hundred  applied. 
From  these  ten  were  chosen  by  Melville  Burke,  the 
director  of  the  Playhouse. 

The  Little  Playhouse  was  founded  by  the  St.  Louis 
Society  for  the  Promotion  of  Drama.  That  it  has 
thriven  in  spite  of  the  handicap  of  this  name  is  partial 
proof  of  its  vitality.  American  audiences  are  afraid  of 
societies  that  "  promote,"  and  in  especial  wary  of  socie- 
ties that  promote  drama !  The  St.  Louis  Society  for  the 
Promotion  of  Drama  has  a  board  of  directors,  a  con- 
tingent fund  made  possible  by  public-spirited  citizens,  and 
a  list  of  patrons.  The  Little  Playhouse  is  sustained  as 
a  symphony  orchestra  is  sustained,  partly  by  small  en-  i 
dowments,  partly  by  subscription. 

The  history  of  the  beginnings  and  accomplishments 
of  the  Playhouse  are  so  graphically  given  in  its  pros- 
pectus that  one  cannot  do  better  than  quote  in  entirety 
the  official  declaration  of  its  aims. 

"  Thus  it  is  that  the  St.  Louis  Society  for  the  Promo- 
tion of  Drama  became,  by  virtue  of  a  pro  forma  decree 
of  court,  a  public  educational  institution,  authorized,  with 
no  expectation  of  profit-making,  to  encourage  and  sup- 
port the  welfare  of  the  drama  and  its  allied  arts  in  what- 
ever way  it  deems  best.  The  Little  Playhouse  company 
is  the  first  concrete  expression  of  the  desire  of  the  society 
to  give  St.  Louis  a  theatre,  untainted  by  the  vulgarity  of 
the  ordinary  commercial  stage,  freed  from  the  necessity 
of  making  money  except  for  expenses  of  production,  and 
consecrated  to  an  ideal  that  demands  the  utmost  in  dra- 
matic art.  No  salaries  of  any  nature  are  paid  to  those 


136    OTHER  LITTLE  THEATRES  OF  THE  WEST 

persons  in  the  directing  personnel.  Only  the  regularly 
engaged  employees,  actors,  stage-hands,  etc.,  receive  a 
salary.  The  actuating  desire  of  those  responsible  for 
the  enterprise  has  been,  from  the  beginning,  based  en- 
tirely upon  the  wish  to  give  the  community  of  St.  Louis 
drama  in  much  the  same  terms  under  which  it  enjoys 
music  through  the  efforts  of  the  Symphony  Society.  The 
profits,  if  any,  of  each  season  revert  to  the  treasury  for 
the  continuance  of  those  purposes  for  which  the  society 
has  been  organized  and  incorporated.  The  financial  sys- 
tem is  modern,  with  detailed  accounting,  voucher-check 
payments,  and  regular  auditing  of  the  books.  To  support 
the  society  either  by  subscription  or  by  a  contribution  to 
the  contingent  fund  is  to  be  sure  that  whatsoever  is  given 
is  devoted  entirely  to  the  cause  of  the  drama  in  terms 
of  the  greatest  practical  and  artistic  service.  Make  St. 
Louis  even  more  '  the  community  art  center  of  America  ' 
by  supporting  the  Little  Playhouse  Company;  it  is  but 
contributing  its  share  to  the  same  end  that  gave  the  city 
its  excellent  symphony  orchestra,  and  the  superb  pageant 
in  1915." 

The  Playhouse  itself  is  in  a  building  called  The  Artists' 
Guild.  The  color  scheme  of  the  interior  is  gray  and 
green.  The  proscenium  arch  has  an  opening  of  eighteen 
feet.  There  is  a  curving,  low-swung  balcony;  but  no 
boxes.  The  stage  is  equipped  with  a  modern  lighting 
system.  As  the  Playhouse  is  run  entirely  on  a  subscrip- 
tion system  no  individual  tickets  can  be  purchased  by 
the  general  public.  But  occasional  guest  tickets  can  be 
purchased  by  subscribers.  The  price  of  seats  is  $1.50 


THE  LITTLE  PLAYHOUSE  OF  ST.  LOUIS    137 

a  performance.     Performances  are  given  on  two  con- 
secutive nights  every  two  weeks. 

The  policy  governing  play  production  is  distinctly  a 
creative  one.     Long  plays  and  short  plays  are  given  in 
about  equal  numbers.     All  have  literary  merit.     ManyV 
first  performances  of  significant  plays  have 'been  given,' 
as  well  as  plays  that  are  unusual  even  on  Little  Theatre 
rosters. 

Some  plays  are  chosen  for  their  significant  place  in  the 
history  of  drama;  others  are  frankly  selected  because 
they  give  opportunities  to  portray  the  new  decorative 
type  of  stage-craft.     Still  other  plays  have  been  selected  j 
because  they  are  by  St.  Louis  authors  and  have  genuine ' 
merit.     The  whole  season's  program  of  the  St.  Louis 
Little  Playhouse  has  extraordinary  variety  and  merit. 

The  Little  Playhouse  gave  the  first  production  of  Gals- 
worthy's Joy  in  this  country,  and  of  Lady  Gregory's 
The  Golden  Apple,  with  imaginative  scenery  by  Mar- 
garet and  Kurt  Toensfeldt;  also  a  first  production  of 
An  Eye  for  An  Eye,  by  I.  L.  Cariagiale,  the  "  father  of 
modern  Roumanian  drama."  For  the  first  time  in  this 
country  the  Playhouse  gave  the  following  one-act  plays : 
Don  Pietro  Caruso,  by  Robert  Bracco;  Arduin,  by  Cale 
Young  Rice;  Reflections,  by  Margaret  Ewing.  Prose 
drama  and  poetic  drama  have  been  produced.  Plays  by  * 
American,  English,  Irish,  Swedish,  Roumanian,  Italian, 
German,  and  Norwegian  authors  have  been  set  before 
Playhouse  audiences.  Altogether  St.  Louis  can  pride 
herself  on  having  one  of  the  most  progressive  of  Little 
Theatres  with  good  acting  ensemble,  and  with  excel- 


138    OTHER  LITTLE  THEATRES  OF  THE  WEST 

lent  scenic  effects,  designed  for  the  theatre  by  Victor 
Harles. 

Another  original  feature  of  the  Little  Playhouse  policy 
lies  in  the  interesting  annotations  on  their  programs. 
Just  as  the  Boston  Symphony  Orchestra  has  historical 
and  critical  notes  on  its  symphonies,  so  also  does  the 
Little  Playhouse  of  St.  Louis  have  explanatory  notes 
concerning  its  plays,  and  the  movements  they  stand  for. 
This  is  a  valuable  innovation. 

If  there  is  any  fault  to  be  found  with  the  Little  Play- 
house it  is  that  it  has  a  habit  (common  to  many  Little 
Theatres)  of  announcing  a  play  for  production,  and  then 
withdrawing  it,  and  substituting  something  else  in  its 
place.  This  irritating  habit  was  one  of  the  causes  of 
the  demise  of  the  Toy  Theatre  in  Boston.  And  it  is  to 
be  hoped  that  an  institution  as  promising  as  the  Little 
Playhouse  will  overcome  this  fault  before  it  reaches  a 
chronic  stage.  There  is  no  sound  reason  why  a  Little 
Theatre  cannot  announce  its  plays  for  the  season  in  ad- 
vance (just  as  a  symphony  orchestra  announces  its  sym- 
phonies), and  then  carry  out  its  promised  program. 

Besides  its  regular  performances  the  Little  Playhouse 
instituted  a  series  of  children's  Saturday  morning  mati- 
nees, giving  four  performances  for  five  dollars.  The  aim 
of  these  performances  was  to  inculcate  a  love  of  litera- 
ture through  the  spoken  word,  and  a  love  of  beauty 
through  the  color  and  simplicity  of  the  scenes  presented. 
These  performances  were  well  attended. 


THE  LITTLE  THEATRE  OF  DULUTH 

THE  Little  Theatre  of  Duluth,  Minn.,  is  notable  as 
the  first  Little  Theatre  established  through  the  efforts  of 
the  Drama  League.  It  is  also  notable  for  having  an  able 
company  made  up  of  amateurs  and  professionals;  five 
professionals  and  some  fifteen  or  twenty  experienced 
amateurs.  E.  W.  Laceby,  of  London,  England,  an  actor 
of  wide  professional  experience,  is  dramatic  director  and 
general  manager. 

The  theatre  was  established  in  1.914.  It  is  housed  in 
what  was  once  an  old  church ;  but  it  has  been  remodeled 
and  redecorated  to  fit  theatre  conditions. 

Duluth,  a  city  of  one  hundred  thousand,  is  out  of  the 
general  theatrical  route,  and  first-class  productions 
are  few  and  far  between.  A  second-rate  company  in 
some  Broadway  success  was  the  most  that  its  citizens 
could  hope  for,  with  now  and  again  a  first-rate  company  - 
which  played  a  one-night  stand.  Of  the  new  theatre  art, 
and  the  trend  of  modern  theatre  literature,  Duluth  could 
gain  no  first-hand  impression.  All  its  citizens  could 
do  in  this  respect  was  to  read  plays,  or  read  about  plays. 
Under  these  conditions  interest  in  the  drama  was  not 
thriving.  Then  came  the  idea  of  having  a  Little  The- 
atre, and  through  its  work  stimulating  an  interest  in  all 
the  finer  and  newer  things  of  theatre  growth. 

Therefore  the  Little  Theatre  was  organized.     It  has 

139 


140   OTHER  LITTLE  THEATRES  OF  THE  WES1 

sixty  supporting  members,  who  pay  five  dollars  a  year 
And  membership  dues  of  the  Drama  League  at  one  dollai 
and  fifty  cents  a  year  entitle  the  Drama  League  member 
to  seats  at  the  productions  of  one-act  plays  which  an 
given  every  month  for  the  Little  Theatre  season  of  sevei 
months.  Thus  it  will  be  seen  that  the  prices  for  thi 
Little  Theatre  are  exceedingly  low.  The  drama  has  beei 
put  within  reach  of  the  very  slenderest  purses.  Cues 
tickets  can  be  purchased  by  Drama  League  members  fo: 
fifty  cents  each  for  any  performance.  The  five  dollar 
of  a  supporting  member  entitles  that  member  to  a  sea 
at  all  performances. 

A  casual  observer  might  suppose  that  such  rates  woul< 
work  havoc  with  the  financial  end  of  the  theatre;  but 
far  from  being  the  case,  the  Little  Theatre  of  Dulutl 
has  thriven  from  the  start  because  it  has  set  art  before  tfa 
people  at  prices  comparable  to  the  movies.  The  Littl< 
Theatre  of  Duluth  is  one  of  the  most  financially  sue 
cessful  Little  Theatres  in  the  United  States.  And  it  i: 
artistically  successful  also. 

After  only  three  years  it  owns  its  own  theatre  building 
and  this  without  any  endowment  or  contingent  fund  t< 
smooth  the  way.  It  has  hoed  its  own  row,  and  insteac 
of  asking  favors  of  its  townsfolk  has  bestowed  favor! 
upon  them,  a  truly  independent  spirit! 

The  theatre  seats  250  people.  Its  interior  color  schema 
is  gray,  with  old-blue  hangings.  It  is  one  of  the  fevi 
Little  Theatres  in  the  United  States  which  makes  use  oi 
the  draped  stage.  This  it  uses  in  preference  to  realistic 
scenery.  The  stage  draperies  of  veiled  blue,  which  cat 


THE  LITTLE  THEATRE  OF  DULUTH      141 

be  painted  with  different  colored  lights,  form  a  neutral 
background,  and  were  chosen  under  the  expert  advice  of 
Mrs.  John  Alexander.  For  plays  such  as  Milestones 
realistic  scenery  is  used,  specially  designed  for  the 
occasion. 

1  The  policy  of  the  Duluth  Little  Theatre  is  thus  de- 
scribed by  one  of  its  players:  "We  have  concentrated 
our  time  and  attention  wholly  on  play-producing,  and  on 
keeping  the  standard  of  acting  far  ahead  of  '  amateur ' 
work  of  the  usual  irritating  kind."  The  theatre  announce- 
ment says  that  the  players  are  selected  from  the  Drama 
League  members  and  that  it  is  their  endeavor  rigidly  to 
maintain,  through  competent  direction  of  every  play,  the 
highest  possible  artistic  standard. 

The  Little  Theatre  produces  mainly  one-act  plays  by 
European  dramatists,  with  an  occasional  one-act  play  by 
an  American  dramatist,  giving  two,  three,  or  four  one- 
act  plays  on  a  program,  according  to  the  length  of  the 
play. 

In  addition  to  the  one-act  plays  a  three-act  or  four-act 
play  is  given  each  season. 

The  Little  Theatre  offers  yearly  a  fifty-dollar  prize  and 
production  for  the  best  one-act  play  written  by  a  local 
dramatist,  and  some  very  encouraging  material  is  coming 
to  light  along  these  lines.  The  Little  Theatre  has  already  ' 
produced  two  of  these  prize  plays,  Her  Sacred  Duty,  by 
Margaret  C.  Banning,  and  What  It  Gets  Down  To,  by 
Mildred  B.  Washburn. 

In  a  word,  the  Little  Theatre  of  Duluth  tries  to  be 
(and  is)  the  intellectual  whetstone  of  the  community. 


142    OTHER  LITTLE  THEATRES  OF  THE  WEST 

Both  Granville  Barker  and  Lady  Gregory  have  mani- 
fested their  keen  interest  in  its  progressive  spirit  and 
definite  artistic  accomplishment. 

The  repertory  of  the  Little  Theatre  is  as  follows: 

1914-1915 

The  Dark  Lady  of  the  Sonnets  and  How  He  Lied  to 
Her  Husband,  by  George  Bernard  Shaw;  The  Twelve- 
Pound  Look  and  The  Will,  by  J.  M.  Barrie;  'Op-o'-Me- 
Thumb,  by  Fenn  and  Price;  The  Workhouse  Ward,  by 
Lady  Gregory;  The  Dear  Departed,  by  Stanley  Houghton. 

1915-1916 

Two  Amateur  Contest  Plays :  Her  Sacred  Duty,  by  Mar- 
garet Culkin  Banning,  and  What  It  Gets  Down  To,  by 
Mildred  Baer  Washburn;  The  Lost  Silk  Hat,  by  Lord 
Dunsany;  The  Impertinence  of  the  Creature,  by  Cosmo- 
Gordon  Lennox;  The  Maker  of  Dreams,  by  Oliphant 
Down;  Holly  and  Mistletoe,  by  Max  Pemberton  (the 
junior  league  play),  and  Her  Husband's  Wife,  by  A.  E. 
Thomas. 

1916-1917 

The  Far-Away  Princess  and  The  Last  Visit,  by  Herman 
Sudermann;  Helena's  Husband,  by  Phillip  Moeller;  The 
Glittering  Gate,  by  Lord  Dunsany ;  The  Green  Coat,  by  Al- 
fred de  Musset  and  Emile  Augier;  The  Carrier  Pigeon, 
by  Eden  Phillpotts ;  The  Master  of  the  House,  by  Stanley 
Houghton;  The  Philosopher  of  the  Apple  Orchard,  by 
Anthony  Hope;  Lone  some-Like,  by  Harold  Brighouse; 
Milestones,  by  Arnold  Bennett  and  Edward  Knoblauch; 
Fancy  Free,  by  Stanley  Houghton ;  The  Beau  of  Bath,  by 
Constance  D'Arcy  Mackay ;  The  Monkey's  Paw,  by  W.  W. 
Jacobs ;  Spreading  the  News,  by  Lady  Gregory ;  Paternoster, 
by  Frangois  Coppee;  Moondown,  by  John  Reed. 


THE  WISCONSIN  DRAMATIC  SOCIETY 

THE  Wisconsin  Dramatic  Society,  sometimes  called  the 
Wisconsin  Players,  organized  in  1911,  is  a  company  of 
gifted  amateurs,  who  "  are  imbued  with  the  vital  prin- 
ciple of  Little  Theatreism."  They  believe  in  "  conducting 
skilled  amateur  companies  for  the  production  of  high- 
class  plays  at  low  prices."  They  wish  to  create  a  demand 
for  a  better  theatre  and  a  more  enlightened  audience. 
Also  they  wish  to  give  the  native  playwright  a  hearing; 
and  to  further  repertoire. 

There  is  something  stimulating  in  the  very  name  of 
this  society.  Many  Little  Theatre  groups  take  the  name 
of  the  town  or  city  as  their  patronym;  but  the  name  of 
Wisconsin  Dramatic  Society  suggests  a  whole  state  in 
action;  a  whole  state  working  for  the  good  of  the  cause. 

Acting  and  producing  is  only  a  part  of  the  specific 
purpose  of  the  society,  which  is  as  follows: 

"  First,  to  raise  the  standard  of  dramatic  appreciation 
in  the  community. 

"  Second,  to  encourage  the  support  of  the  best  plays. 

"  Third,  to  encourage  the  reading  of  good  plays  in 
English,  and  in  translations  from  other  languages. 

"  Fourth,  to  encourage  the  translation,  composition, 
and  publication  of  good  plays. 

"  Fifth,  to  conduct  companies  for  the  production  of 
high-class  plays  at  low  prices." 

143 


144    OTHER  LITTLE  THEATRES  OF  THE  WEST 

This  last  part  of  the  work  naturally  is  of  the  greatest 
interest  to  students  of  the  Little  Theatre  movement. 
The  society  has  given  productions  in  Madison,  Beloit,  and 
Milwaukee,  and  as  it  has  no  theatre  plant,  rents  local 
theatres  for  -the  occasion.  They  use  only  the  very  sim- 
plest scenery.  Indeed,  they  attempt  no  scenic  experimen- 
tation whatever,  preferring  to  center  their  energies  on  the 
acceptable  acting  of  the  plays.  Along  these  lines  all  their 
experiments  are  made.  They  work  for  eloquent  panto- 
mime, clear  enunciation,  and  for  tempo  in  ensemble  play- 
ing. To  turn  out  semi-professional  groups  equipped  to 
give  plays  the  public  would  not  ordinarily  see  is  the  aim 
of  the  play-producing  department  of  the  society.  Any- 
thing that  smacks  of  theatricalism  in  acting  will  not  be 
tolerated  by  either  Professor  Dickinson,  who  directs  the 
Madison  group,  or  Mrs.  Sherry,  who  directs  the  Mil- 
waukee group.  As  far  back  as  1911  these  workers  for 
the  drama  decided  that  no  play  under  their  direction 
would  countenance  the  old  system  of  spotlights  or  a 
built-up  entrance.  The  Wisconsin  Dramatic  Society 
eliminates  the  orchestra;  will  not  raise  the  curtain  in 
answer  to  curtain  calls.  They  do  everything  in  their- 
power  to  foster  illusion  in  acting.  They  may,  in  time, 
go  as  far  as  the  Art  Theatre  of  Moscow,  which  elimi- 
nates applause  as  breaking  in  upon  the  mood  of  the  play. 

Many  people  erroneously  believe  that  the  Wisconsin 
Players  are  connected  with  the  University  of  Wisconsin. 
But  as  an  article  in  the  Drama  Quarterly,  by  W.  E. 
Leonard,  points  out,  "  the  Wisconsin  Dramatic  Society  is 
not  an  academic  organization.  It  has  no  official  relation 


THE  WISCONSIN  DRAMATIC  SOCIETY     145 

to  any  institution  of  learning  either  in  Madison  or  Mil- 
waukee, though  it  numbers  among  its  most  active  mem- 
bers many  university  professors.  .  .  .  The  society 
stands  for  no  special  art  form.  It  believes  in  the  ama- 
teur spirit." 

If  all  this  sounds  like  idealism,  it  might  be  pointed  out 
that  the  society  has  achieved  some  very  definite  results. 
It  produced  three  plays  during  the  first  year  of  its  exist- 
ence at  a  flat  rate  of  fifteen  cents  per  seat,  and  was  able  to 
put  something  in  the  treasury  for  the  following  year. 
Of  course  this  rate  would  not  have  been  possible  had 
the  society  experimented  with  scenery  and  costumes  as 
do  most  Little  Theatre  groups.  The  second  year  eight 
plays  were  produced.  Owing  to  various  circumstances 
a  higher  price  of  'admittance  was  asked  for  these  plays, 
namely,  fifty  cents,  but  it  is  and  always  will  be,  part  of 
the  policy  of  the  Wisconsin  Dramatic  Society  to  give 
plays  at  cost.  Anything  that  is  made  from  the  produc- 
tions is  put  back  into  the  society's  fund,  and  goes  to 
further  theif  plans. 

Besides  the  plays  of  American  origin,  developed  out 
of  the  work  of  the  Wisconsin  group,  now  published  in  a 
volume  called  Wisconsin  Plays,  which  includes  Neighbors, 
by  Zona  Gale,  and  Glory  of  the  Morning,  by  William 
Elory  Leonard,  the  society  has  produced  many  of  the 
best  one-act  plays  by  European  dramatists,  such  as  The 
Hour  Glass,  by  Yeats ;  Riders  to  the  Sea,  by  Synge,  ah< 
The  Stronger,  by  August  Strindberg. 

The  Wisconsin  Stage  Society  has  lately  built  a  charm- 
ing playhouse  in  Milwaukee,  Wis.,  where  it  will  give  a 


146    OTHER  LITTLE  THEATRES  OF  THE  WEST 

series  of  plays  every  month  under  the  direction  of  Mrs. 
Laura  Sherry. 

Plays  produced  by  the  Wisconsin  Players  since  1915: 

Neighbors,  by  Zona  Gale;  Glory  of  the  Morning,  by 
William  E.  Leonard;  In  Hospital,  by  T.  H.  Dickinson;  Ry- 
land,  by  Thomas  W.  Steven ;  Dust  of  the  Road,  by  Ken- 
neth S.  Goodman;  Tradition,  by  George  Middleton;  As 
You  Do  It,  by  I.  B.  Kinne;  City  Hall  Central,  by  Louise 
Brand;  Las  Rurales,  by  Dorothea  Massey;  The  Archae- 
ologist and  the  Lady,  by  Mabel  Mayhew ;  The  Talker,  by 
Rowland  Russel;  The  Valley,  by  R.  S.  Crowell;  A  Branch 
Road,  by  Hamlin  Garland;  The  Feast  of  the  Holy  Inno- 
cents and  In  a  Vestibule,  by  Marshal  Ilsley;  On  the  Pier, 
Romance,  Ambition,  and  Just  Livin',  by  Laura  Sherry;  A 
Moving  Picture  Burlesque,  by  Mathew  Carmel;  A  Blind 
Wife  and  Rich  Poor  Man,  by  Walter  Morley ;  The  Topaz 
^Amulet,  by  Thomas  W.  Stevens  and  Wallace  Rice;  The 
Light  of  Decency,  by  Charles  Mercein ;  The  Man  Who  Mar- 
ried the  Moon,  by  Charlotte  Markham;  Bubbles,  by  Anna 
Hemstead  Branch;  Dead  Soul,  by  Austin  Simons;  Orange 
Blossom,  by  Phillips  Chynoweth;  and  The  Finger  of  God, 
by  Percival  Wilde. 


CHAPTER  VII 

OTHER  LITTLE  THEATRES  OF  THE 
WEST   (Continued) 

THE  ARTS  AND  CRAFTS  THEATRE  OF  DETROIT 

THE  Arts  and  Crafts  Theatre  of  Detroit  was  founded 
in  November,  1916.  The  theatre  itself  is  in  the  Arts  and 
Crafts  building,  and  the  idea  of  the  theatre  has  grown 
out  of  the  work  done  by  the  Arts  and  Crafts  Society, 
which  aims  at  "  the  training  of  true  craftsmen,  the  devel- 
oping of  individual  character  in  connection  with  artistic 
work,  and  the  raising  of  standards  of  beauty."  The 
building  and  the  theatre  within  it  are  owned  by  the  Arts 
and  Crafts  Society,  and  the  theatre  is  entirely  financed 
by  the  society. 

It  is  just  such  a  building  as  should  appropriately 
house  an  art  theatre  with  its  quaint  stucco  exterior  and 
its  dormered  and  gabled  roof  of  tiles.  The  theatre  opens 
off  a  paved  court  that  is  lined  on  each  side  with  little 
Arts  and  Crafts  shops,  filled  with  pottery,  dyed  fabrics 
rich  in  hue,  hand-wrought  jewelry,  and  hammered  metals. 
The  Arts  and  Crafts  Theatre  is  the  only  Little  Theatre 
in  the  United  States  that  is  run  in  connection  with  an 
art  guild.  Sam  Hume  is  the  regisseur  of  the  theatre. 

The  theatre  itself  has  a  very  satisfying  interior.  The 

147 


148    OTHER  LITTLE  THEATRES  OF  THE  WEST 

floor  of  the  auditorium  consists  of  a  series  of  raised  plat- 
forms on  which  chairs  are  placed.  There  is  a  balcony  on 
three  sides  of  the  theatre  auditorium.  The  theatre  chairs 
are  upholstered  in  vari-colored  satins;  the  proscenium 
arch  is  square;  the  proscenium  curtain  falls  in  dignified 
and  sweeping  folds.  The  theatre  seats  250. 

The  theatre  company  is  entirely  amateur.  Mr.  Hume 
believes  in  a  very  strict  standard  of  acting.  Two  hun- 
dred and  fifty  actors  were  tried  out  before  the  final  selec- 
tion was  made.  Out  of  these  150  were  chosen  to  appear 
as  principals  or  in  minor  parts. 

The  Arts  and  Crafts  Theatre  is  run  on  the  subscrip- 
tion system.  The  seats  are  $1.00  and  $2.00  for  public 
performances.  Friday  is  subscribers'  night,  and  on  Sat- 
urday afternoons  there  are  matinees  for  teachers  and 
pupils  at  reduced  rates.  Six  performances  were  given 
during  the  season  of  1916-1917,  including  the  dedicatory 
performance.  Nineteen  one-act  plays  were  given  by  this 
theatre  in  its  first  season.  For  1917-1918  six  produc- 
tions will  also  be  given.  Subscription  tickets  will  be 
$12.00  for  each  season  ticket;  students'  and  teachers' 
tickets  will  be  obtainable  for  $5.00.  As  supplementary 
productions  the  theatre  committee  is  considering  a  chil- 
dren's bill  to  be  presented  in  the  holiday  season. 

The  first  season  of  the  Arts  and  Crafts  Theatre  was 
a  success  financially  and  artistically.  There  were  no 
debts,  and  a  small  balance  was  carried  over  for  the  fol- 
lowing year. 

The  policy  of  the  Arts  and  Crafts  Theatre  has  been 
to  produce  revivals  of  old  plays  of  literary  significance 


ARTS  AND  CRAFTS  THEATRE  OF  DETROIT    149 

such  as  Moliere's  Doctor  in  Spite  of  Himself  and  the 
ancient  English  miracle  play  of  Abraham  and  Isaac,  as 
well  as  plays  by  modern  authors,  such  as  Dunsany, 
St.  John  Hankin,  and  Harold  Brighouse. 

In  the  season  of  1916-1917  more  plays  by  European 
authors  were  given  than  plays  by  American  authors. 
In  fact,  only  eight  of  the  nineteen  plays  produced  were 
by  Americans.    One  native  play,  Sham,  a  farce  by  Frank  j 
Tompkins,  had  its  first  production.     For  the  rest,  the/ 
plays  were  all  plays  that  had  been  previously  produced 
and  were  more  or  less  familiar  to  Little  Theatre  audi- 
ences throughout  the  country. 

Next  year  the  Arts  and  Crafts  Theatre  hopes  to  give 
more  new  material.  It  has  offered  a  prize  of  $100  for 
a  play  written  by  a  resident  of  Michigan  and  suited  for 
production  on  the  Arts  and  Crafts  stage.  Fifty  manu- 
scripts have  been  received  in  this  competition.  Besides 
this  play  the  theatre  hopes  to  produce  at  least  six  new 
plays  by  American  authors,  giving  them  their  first  hear- 
ing on  any  stage.  These  plays  have  not  yet  been  an- 
nounced; but  among  the  plays  which  have  been  tenta- 
tively chosen  for  production  in  1917-1918  are:  Ariane 
and  Barbe  Bleu,  by  Maurice  Maeterlinck ;  Riders  to  the 
Sea,  By  J.  M.  Synge;  The  People,  by  Susan  Glaspell; 
Arms  and  the  Man,  by  Bernard  Shaw ;  The  Theatre  of 
the  Soul,  by  Nicholas  Evreinof;  The  Homecoming,  by 
Kenneth  Sawyer  Goodman,  and  Weeping  Pierrot  and 
Laughing  Pierrot,  by  Edmond  Rostand,  with  music  by 
Jean  Hubert. 

The  scenic  work  of  this  theatre  is  extremely  inter- 


150   OTHER  LITTLE  THEATRES  OF  THE  WEST 

esting.  Mr.  Hume,  the  director,  is  favorably  known  as 
the  originator  of  the  Stage  Exhibit  which  was  seen  sev- 
eral years  ago  in  most  of  the  large  cities  of  the  United 
States.  He  is  also  known  for  the  excellent  scenic  effects 
he  devised  for  the  Workshop  Theatre,  Cambridge,  many 
of  which  have  been  repeated  during  the  season  in  Detroit. 
Like  Gordon  Craig,1  Mr.  Hume  is  a  firm  believer  in  the 
type  of  scenery  that  is  made  possible  through  the  use  of 
squares,  cubes,  and  cylinders  used  against  a  flat  back- 
ground, and  flooded  with  white  or  colored  lime- 
lights. The  Arts  and  Crafts  Theatre  has  a  back  wall  of 
plaster  something  similar  to  the  plaster  horizont  of  the 
Neighborhood  Playhouse.  Against  this  background  these 
portable  blocks  or  pylons  are  arranged  to  give  the  effect 
of  palaces  or  walls  or  stately  gardens.  Clipped  yew  trees, 
flowers,  or  the  sweep  of  a  splendid  curtain  may  lend  a 
note  of  color  and  warmth  to  these  "  cube  screens."  These 
cubes  and  pillars  are  most  effectively  used  in  Mr.  Hume's 
setting  for  Helena's  Husband  and  for  a  harlequin  fan- 
tasy. The  use  of  these  portable  cubes  is  very  popular 
abroad  but  the  Arts  and  Crafts  Theatre  is  the  first  Little 
Theatre  to  make  continual  rather  than  a  sporadic  use  of 
them  in  this  country. 

When  one  considers  the  dignity  and  beauty,  the  sug- 
gestive stylization  made  possible  through  their  use  it 
seems  a  pity  that  other  Little  Theatres  do  not  experi- 
ment in  this  line,  since  the  cubes  and  pilasters  are  in- 
expensive and  can  be  used  again  and  again,  though  it 

1  For  a  full  description  of  how  Gordon  Craig  came  to  originate 
this  type  of  scenery  see  Huntly  Carter's  The  Theatre  of  Max 
Reinhardt,  page  300, 


ARTS  AND  CRAFTS  THEATRE  OF  DETROIT    151 

takes  the  artist's  eye  and  the  feeling  for  architecture  to 
gain  such  sure  effects  as  those  of  Mr.  Hume.  These 
cubes  and  pillars  must  be  all  in  one  color.  Gordon  Craig 
uses  them  in  pale  gray;  Granville  Barker  in  white,  re- 
lieved by  some  bit  of  color,  either  a  sumptuous  throne 
chair  or  gorgeous  curtains.  It  goes  without  saying  that 
modern  dress  cannot  be  used  with  such  a  setting,  which 
lends  itself  only  to  costume  work. 

Although  these  cylinders  and  cubes  can  be  moved  to 
make  many  combinations,  there  is  one  thing  against  their 
continual  use  as  scenery,  and  that  is  that  they  are  apt 
to  be  monotonous.  Mr.  Hume  very  wisely  varies  this 
ascetic  scenery  with  scenery  of  posteresque  quality.  There 
is  distinction  in  all  he  does,  whether  in  the  brilliant 
Chinese  interior  for  Housman's  Chinese  Lantern,  or  the 
decoration  for  The  Lost  Silk  Hat.  Katherine  McEwen 
designed  a  charming  set  for  St.  John  Hankin's  Constant 
Lover,  delicately  vernal,  with  its  posy  bestrewn  hillock, 
and  curving  weeping  willow  tree. 

Of  this  Arts  and  Crafts  Theatre  Sheldon  Cheney  has 
said :  "  In  this  achievement  of  providing  settings  far 
finer  than  those  usually  seen  on  the  commercial  stage, 
and  at  a  cost  below  that  of  even  the  least  elaborate  of  the 
usual  Little  Theatre  sets,  Mr.  Hume  has  done  something 
that  should  inspire  every  real  artist  with  hope  and  new 
determination." 

Some  of  the  plays  produced  during  1916-1917  have 
been: 

The  Glittering  Gate  (see  illustration,  page  174),  and  Tents 
of  the  Arabs,  by  Lord  Dunsany;  A  Chinese  Lantern,  by 


152    OTHER  LITTLE  THEATRES  OF  THE  WEST 

Housman;  The  Romance  of  the  Rose,  by  Sam  Hume; 
Trifles,  and  Suppressed  Desires,  by  Susan  Glaspell;  The 
Constant  Lover,  by  St.  John  Hankin;  Doctor  in  Spite  of 
Himself,  by  Moliere;  Abraham  and  Isaac;  The  Revesby 
Sword  Play;  Lonesomelike,  by  Harold  Brighouse ;  Helena's 
Husband,  by  Philip  Moeller;  The  Intruder,  by  Maeter- 
linck. 


THE  PLAYHOUSE  OF  CLEVELAND 

FROM  the  work  mapped  out  on  its  prospectus  it  appears 
that  the  Playhouse  of  Cleveland  will  strike  a  new  note 
in  its  Little  Theatre,  for  which  a  small  old-fashioned 
church  on  Cedar  Avenue  is  being  remodeled.  Work  will 
begin  there  in  the  Autumn  of  1917.  Besides  the  plays 
which  will  be  given  there  by  the  Playhouse  company, 
selected  from  the  most  gifted  amateurs  of  the  city,  the 
Playhouse  will  also  open  its  doors  to  the  divergent  nation- 
alities of  its  city  for  rehearsal  and  performances  of  plays 
in  their  own  tongue,  with  settings  that  will  give  a  chance 
for  broad  development  in  folk  art,  and  that  will  help  to 
conserve  folk  traditions. 

No  Little  Theatre  group  has  laid  its  plans  with  greater 
vision  than  the  Playhouse  group,  whose  eloquent  little 
folder,  adorned  with  a  picture  of  their  future  theatre, 
sets  forth  their  plans  as  follows: 

"  A  group  of  men  and  women  in  Cleveland  formed 
the  Playhouse  company  in  1916  for  the  purpose  of 
establishing  an  art  theatre ;  of  encouraging  native  art  in 
all  its  forms  and  native  artists;  and  for  cultivating  the 
rich  legacies  in  folk  art  possessed  by  our  cosmopolitan 
population.  This  group  consists  of  artists,  of  musicians, 
of  those  whose  interests  are  sociological,  of  those  who 
have  a  leaning  toward  the  lighting  and  mechanics  of  the 

153 


154    OTHER  LITTLE  THEATRES  OF  THE  WEST 

stage,  toward  acting,  toward  writing,  and  toward  con-  ' 
structive  activities  for  children. 

"  The  new  theatre  will  be  an  art  theatre  aiming  to  pre- 
sent on  its  stage  productions  in  the  modern  spirit  both 
as  to  acting  and  decorations.  During  the  past  year  the 
Playhouse  has  presented  to  its  members  eight  plays,  of 
which  one  was  by  marionettes  and  one  was  in  shadow- 
graph. These  performances  have  been  private  because 
the  Playhouse  in  its  temporary  quarters  did  not  have  an 
auditorium  adequate  for  the  public.  Exhibitions,  also, 
have  been  held  by  the  painters,  sculptors,  designers, 
dancers,  and  musicians  of  the  group. 

"  Although  the  Playhouse  will  sympatheically  endeavor 
to  encourage  the  self-expression  of  its  members,  it  recog- 
nizes that  Cleveland  is  cosmopolitan,  and  that  it  contains 
a  wealth  of  divergent  national  art  and  traditions.  .  .  . 
To  this  end  the  theatre  will  offer  itself  to  the  groups 
of  varied  nationalities  in  the  city,  as  a  place  for  meet- 
ing, for  exhibition  of  art  and  craftsmanship,  for  re- 
hearsal and  performance  of  plays  and  music. 

"  During  the  year  a  cosmopolitan  committee  has  ac- 
quainted itself  with  cosmopolitan  groups  with  the  view 
of  bringing  their  exhibitions,  concerts,  and  plays  to  the 
Playhouse  as  soon  as  there  is  a  proper  stage.  .  .  . 
When  completed  there  will  be  a  stage  of  ample  dimen- 
sion, an  auditorium  which  will  seat  150  persons,  and 
such  other  accommodations  as  are  needed.  % 

"  It  is  apparent  that  such  a  theatre  will  not  be  self- 
supporting.  The  expense  will  be  met  in  part  by  dues 
to  be  paid  by  the  active  members.  To  those  who  are  not 


THE  PLAYHOUSE  OF  CLEVELAND          155 

of  the  active  group  an  opportunity  is  given  to  join  in 
this  work  by  becoming  supporting  members,  upon  a 
minimum  payment  of  $25.00  per  year. 

"  Although  supporting  members  as  such  shall  not  hold 
stock  or  have  votes  in  the  corporation,  and  although  they 
shall  not,  by  their  right,  participate  in  the  activities  of  the 
theatre,  neverthless  it  is  the  policy  to  grant  to  supporting 
members  such  privileges  as  shall  not  interfere  with  the 
work  of  the  theatre  or  with  such  other  work  as  may  be 
undertaken. 

"  The  supporting  members  therefore  shall  be  on  an 
equality  with  the  active  members  in  privileges  of  attend- 
ance at  all  public  entertainments  and  exhibitions,  includ- 
ing an  equality  of  privilege  in  the  purchase  of  tickets. 
It  is  likely  that  on  occasion  it  will  be  desirable  to  hold 
dress  rehearsals  to  which  the  supporting  members  will 
be  invited,  to  become  a  kind  of  '  First  Night/ 

"  Also  if  it  is  found  that  a  club  life  can  be  developed 
without  interference  with  the  organization's  primary 
functions  as  a  theatre  and  workshop,  such  club  life  shall 
be  within  the  privileges  of  the  supporting  members.  At 
this  time  it  is  hard  to  state  just  the  form  of  club  life 
to  be  developed.  There  may  be  periodic  club  nights  when 
the  Playhouse  with  its  clubroom,  theatre,  and  library  will 
be  opened  to  the  use  of  supporting  members." 

Raymond  O'Neil  is  the  art  director  of  the  theatre. 


THE  LITTLE  THEATRE  OF  LOS  ANGELES 

WHILE  the  Little  Theatre  of  Los  Angeles  no  longe 

exists  by  the  name  of  the  Little  Theatre,  the  work  don 

there  in  1916-1917  by  Aline  Barnsdall  and  her  group  o 

players  will  be  carried  on  either  in  Los  Angeles  or  Sar 

Francisco  in  1917-1918.     So  the  Little  Theatre  prodtic 

tions  of  1916-1917  have  a  definite  bearing  on  the  new 

.  Little  Theatre  company  which  is  to  be  called  the  Players 

j  Producing  Company.    This  theatre  is  to  be  distinctly  ar 

v'art  theatre,  with  a  professional  company.    The  plays  wr 

;'  be  produced  in  this  home  theatre,  and  then,  later,  taker 

on  the  road  and  presented  in  the  smaller  cities  of  Cali 

fornia.     When  a  play  that  is  distinctly  Californian  in 

theme  and  investiture  has  been  developed,  it  will  prob 

ably  be  sent  to  several  Eastern  cities  as  an  example  o 

what  the  Players  Producing  Company  is  doing.     Th 

Little  Art  Theatre,  however,  will  remain  the  producing 

center. 

This  is  its  genuinely  interesting  definite  policy,  laic 
down  for  1917-1918 — a  far  more  definite  policy  than 
that  which  governed  the  season  of  Los  Angeles  1916 
1917,  when  a  group  of  totally  unrelated  plays  was  given 
beginning  with  Ossip  Dymow's  neurotic  Nju  and  endini 
with  a  garbled  edition  of  Everyman,  rewritten  by  Georg 
Sterling.  (Who  will,  one  wonders,  rewrite  Shakespeare' 
Romeo  and  Juliet  at  some  later  date?) 

156 


THE  LITTLE  THEATRE  OF  LOS  ANGELES    157 

Miss  Barnsdall  will  be  remembered  as  the  producer 
of  Alice  Gerstenberg's  dramatization  of  Alice  in  Won- 
derland, most  successfully  given  in  New  York  and  other 
cities  three  or  four  years  ago.  This  production  was 
memorable  for  its  unerring  casting,  and  for  its  delight- 
ful whimsical  scenery  designed  by  a  Chicago  artist  whom 
Miss  Barnsdall  "  discovered." 

For  her  Los  Angeles  Little  Theatre  venture  Miss 
Barnsdall  wisely  chose  Norman  Bel-Geddes,  whose  orig- 
inal decorative  ideas  are  widely  known  to  students  of  art 
in  this  country.  He  evolved  some  extraordinarily  inter- 
esting sets  for  the  Little  Theatre,  notably  for  Nju  and 
for  Zoe  Akins'  Papa,  the  latter  having  posteresque  effects 
and  a  sense  of  pattern  that  made  the  scenes  memorable. 
He  caught  exactly  the  gay  inconsequential  spirit  of  the 
piece.  Richard  Ordynski  was  the  director  of  the  Little 
Theatre. 

The  company  of  the  Little  Theatre  was  made  up 
partly  of  professionals  and  partly  of  amateurs.  While 
this  led  to  the  discovery  of  Ann  Andrews,  a  young 
Californian  amateur  of  ability,  who  has  since  joined 
the  ranks  of  the  professional  stage,  Miss  Barnsdall  feels 
that  to  have  a  company  of  seasoned  professionals  and 
utterly  untrained  amateurs  is  a  thing  not  to  be  repeated. 
The  sure  touch  of  the  very  experienced  professional 
shows  the  very  unsure  touch  of  the  inexperienced  ama- 
teur. This  is  an  interesting  fact.  It  shows  that  where 
a  Little  Theatre  company  is  to  be  made  up  of  amateurs 
and  professionals,  the  amateurs  must  be  potential 
artists,  skilled  in  their  craft,  or  the  discrepancies  will  be 


158    OTHER  LITTLE  THEATRES  OF  THE  WEST 

too  great,  as  they  were  at  the  Little  Theatre  in  Los 
Angeles. 

The  plays  given  at  the  Little  Theatre  included  Nju, 
by  Ossip  Dymow,  a  Russian  play  given  for  the  first  time 
in  this  country;  Papa,  by  Zoe  Akins,  an  American  com- 
edy, given  for  the  first  time  on  any  stage ;  Conscience,  a 
play  in  one  act,  by  Owen  Taft,  Jr.;  The  Supper  Scene 
from  Anatol,  by  Schnitzler;  The  Shadowy  Waters,  by 
W.  B.  Yeats;  Mrs.  Holyrod,  by  H.  D.  Lawrence;  Christ- 
mas week  matinees  of  The  Return  of  Proserpine,  by 
Florence  Kipper  Frank,  and  Everyman. 

Comparisons  may  be  odious,  but  to  one  who  remem- 
bers the  poignant  simplicity  of  Ben  Greet's  production 
of  Everyman,  the  ornate  costumes  and  curtains  of  George 
Sterling's  revamping  of  that  ancient  tragedy  of  the  soul 
marks  the  very  elaborateness  that  the  Little  Theatres  of 
today  are  trying  to  do  away  with. 

Undoubtedly  Miss  Barnsdall  will  do  much  that  is 
worth  while  in  her  new  art  theatre.  It  was  her  gift  as 
a  producer  which  made  possible  the  charm,  the  f  ragrancy, 
the  perfect  ensemble  of  Alice  in  Wonderland.  That  was 
a  true  achievement.  And  one  can  wish  for  the  Little 
Art  Theatre  of  California  no  better  luck  than  to  have 
Miss  Barnsdall  guide  its  destinies  as  skilfully  as  she 
guided  the  destinies  of  Alice. 


THE  LITTLE  THEATRE  OF  INDIANAPOLIS 

THE  Little  Theatre  of  Indianapolis,  founded  in  the 
Autumn  of  19x5,  gives  one-act  plays  by  American  and 
European  authors  and  also  specializes  in  producing  new 
one-act  plays  that  have  never  before  had  production.  It 
also  gives,  occasionally,  a  play  in  three  or  four  acts.  Its 
first  director  was  Samuel  A.  Eliot,  Jr.,  and  the  critics 
have  spoken  in  high  praise  of  the  investiture  and  tempo 
of  the  productions  given  under  his  direction.  The  com- 
pany is  made  up  of  amateurs  with  professional  aspira- 
tions. Mr.  Eliot  went  on  to  other  work  after  his  first 
year  with  the  Indianapolis  Theatre,  and  since  then  the 
theatre  has  passed  through  many  vicissitudes;  appears 
in  danger  of  dissolution ;  changes  its  director  and  its  com- 
pany, and  struggles  bravely  on! 

Its  secretary,  William  O.  Bates,  describes  its  policy 
and  achievements  thus : 

'  The  Little  Theatre  Society  of  Indiana  has  no  theatre 
of  its  own.  During  the  season  of  1915-1916  it  gave  its 
performances  in  the  sculpture  court  of  the  John  Herron 
Art  Institute,  using  its  entrance  hall,  only  twelve  feet 
wide',  as  a  stage.  It  is  a  vast  and  handsome  room,  but 
seats  only  about  200  persons  and  the  acoustics  are  very 
poor.  The  fine  stairways  flanking  the  stage  on  either 
side  proved  its  best  feature.  During  the  season  of  1916- 
1917  the  performances  were  given  in  the  Masonic  Tem- 

159 


160    OTHER  LITTLE  THEATRES  OF  THE  WEST 

pie,  seating  about  1,000  persons,  but  with  a  shallow  stage 
and  inadequate  dressing  rooms.  The  society  is  sadly  in 
need  of  a  proper  place  to  give  its  performances,  Indian- 
apolis having  no  small  theatre  with  an  ample  stage. 

"  As  to  the  price  of  seats,  members  of  the  society  are 
given  a  certain  number  of  coupons  for  their  subscrip- 
tions, so  that  seats  cost  them  about  fifty  cents  each.  To 
the  general  public  a  charge  of  one  dollar  was  made  at 
first,  but  this  was  soon  dropped  to  fifty  and  twenty-five 
cents,  according  to  location. 

"  We  have  a  subscription  list  of  some  200  persons  who 
constitute  the  membership  of  the  society. 

"  The  players  are  mostly  amateurs  with  an  occasional 
retired  professional.  Several  who  began  as  amateurs 
have  graduated  to  the  professional  stage. 

"  So  far  as  difficulties  go,  the  backers  of  the  under- 
taking have  had  to  make  their  bricks  without  the  straw  of 
either  a  proper  place  to  give  their  performances,  or  a 
public  more  than  mildly  interested  in  their  efforts.  But 
they  made  bricks  just  the  same. 

"  The  membership  is  $5.00. 

"  Each  membership  is  entitled  to  twelve  coupons,  which 
may  be  presented  singly  or  en  bloc  at  performance.  The 
society  also  offers  a  combination  membership  with  the 
Indianapolis  Center  of  the  Drama  League  for  $5.00, 
whereby  a  membership  in  that  organization  is  given  for 
one  year  along  with  a  Little  Theatre  membership,  carry- 
ing with  it  ten  coupons. 

"  The  purpose  of  the  Little  Theatre  is  to  encourage 
the  production  of  new  plays,  plays  which  cannot  be  pro- 


THE  LITTLE  THEATRE  OF  INDIANAPOLIS    161 

duced  by  the  commercial  stage,  either  because  of  their 
content  or  lack  of  commercial  possibility — in  short  to 
encourage  all  community  endeavor  of  an  original  char- 
acter in  the  field  of  the  theatre.  The  Little  Theatre  calls 
particular  attention  to  the  fact  that  two  of  the  plays  listed 
here  have  never  been  produced  on  any  stage  and  that 
these  two  plays  are  the  work  of  Indiana  men — W.  O. 
Bates  and  Theodore  Dreiser. 

"  Polly  of  P ague's  Run,  by  W.  O.  Bates,  is  a  drama 
of  Indiana  in  1863  in  the  tense  moment  of  the  historic 
'  battle  of  Pogue's  Run/  It  is  Indianian  throughout. 
Morton,  Sulgrove,  and  Coburn  are,  of  course,  historical, 
and  every  incident  has  historical  basis.  The  production 
of  this  play  is  a  step  in  the  trail  blazed  by  Lady  Gregory, 
and  follows  her  ideals  as  worked  out  at  the  Abbey  The- 
atre— a  play  of  the  locality,  written,  designed,  costumed, 
and  played  by  the  community  itself. 

"  Laughing  Gas,  by  Theodore  Dreiser,  was  produced  as 
an  experiment.  Many  critics  asserted  on  the  publication 
of  Theodore  Dreiser's  Plays  of  the  Natural  and  the  Su- 
pernatural that  it  was  impossible  to  produce  Laughing 
Gas.  It  is  the  story  of  a  man  who  is  operated  on,  and 
what  he  meets  in  the  realm  of  unreality  while  the  opera- 
tion is  actually  going  on.  Rumor  has  it  that  Dreiser 
wrote  this  first  as  a  motion  picture  scenario.  Certain  it  is 
that  it  is  typical  of  the  modern  art  theatre  movement  in  its 
problem  of  rhythm.  Those  who  are  familiar  with  the 
discussion  which  Gordon  Craig  and  others  have  raised  as 
to  what  is  possible  in  suggestion  will  find  food  for  addi- 
tional discussion  in  this  production.  The  Little  Theatre 


162    OTHER  LITTLE  THEATRES  OF  THE  WEST 

in  Indianapolis  stands  for  experiments  of  all  sorts — as  a 
laboratory  stands  in  medicine  for  experiment.  The  set- 
ting is  the  work  of  Mr.  Donald  Dohner  and  Mr.  Harri- 
son Brown,  and  is  an  experiment  in  the  suggestion  of  the 
motion  of  reality.  Mr.  Orlopp  has  an  experiment  in 
light  effects.  To  those  who  are  interested  in  new  effects, 
the  trial  is  of  particular  interest/'  (For  illustration,  see 
page  212.)  The  repertory  of  the  Little  Theatre  Society 
has  been  as  follows : 

1915-1916 

Polyxena,  adapted  from  the  Hecuba  of  Euripides,  by 
S.  A.  Eliot,  Jr. ;  A  Killing  Triangle,  original  burlesque  in 
pantomime,  author  not  announced;  The  Glittering  Gate,  by 
Lord  Dunsany ;  The  Scheming  Lieutenant,  by  R.  B.  Sheri- 
dan; Dad,  original  comedy  of  Hoosier  life,  by  Maxwell 
Parry;  The  Pageant  of  the  Shearmen  and  Taylors,  a 
Christmas  Miracle  play,  adapted  by  S.  A.  Eliot,  Jr. ;  The 
Pretty  Sabine  Women,  by  Leonid  Andreyeff;  The  Broken 
God,  original  masque  on  the  war,  by  Hortense  Flexner; 
Overtones,  by  Alice  Gersternberg ;  The  Florists  Shop, 
by  Winifred  Hawkbridge;  The  Game  of  Chess,  by  Ken- 
neth Sawyer  Goodman;  How  He  Lied  to  Her  Husband, 
by  Bernard  Shaw;  The  Dark  Lady  of  the  Sonnets,  by 
Bernard  Shaw;  Dawn,  by  Percival  Wilde;  The  Kisses 
of  Marjorie,  by  Booth  Tarkington;  Chicane,  adapted  from 
Jack  London;  The  Groove,  by  George  Middleton. 

The  season  concluded  with  a  commemoration  of  the 
Tercentenary  of  Shakespeare's  death  at  which  brief  scenes 
from  several  of  his  comedies  were  given  by  the  full  com- 
pany, some  100  in  number.  During  this  season  some 
$3,000  was  collected  and  expended. 


THE  LITTLE  THEATRE  OF  INDIANAPOLIS    163 

1916-1917 

A  Centennial  Cycle  of  dialogued  excerpts  from  the  works 
of  Maurice  Thompson,  Grace  Alexander,  "Robert  Dud- 
ley," Catherine  Blake,  Booth  Tarkington,  George  Ade, 
Meredith  Nicholson,  and  James  Whitcomb  Riley,  prepared 
by  Mrs.  Kate  Milner  Rabb,  William  O.  Conway,  and  Mrs. 
Aletha  V.  McNaull. 

Polly  of  Pogue's  Run,  original  Civil  War  play,  by  William 
O.  Bates ;  Laughing  Gas,  original  play  by  Theodore  Dreiser ; 
The  Farce  of  Pierre  Patelin,  French  Thirteenth  Century; 
The  Lost  Silk  Hat,  by  Lord  Dunsany;  Duty,  by  Seumas 
O'Brien;  The  Maker  of  Dreams,  by  Oliphant  Down;  The 
Importance  of  Being  Earnest,  by  Oscar  Wilde;  Lithuania, 
by  Rupert  Brooke;  Suppressed  Desires,  by  George  Cook 
and  Susan  Glaspell;  Cathleen  ni  Hoolihan,  by  William 
Butler  Yeats;  The  Rising  of  the  Moon,  by  Lady  Gregory; 
Spreading  the  News,  by  Lady  Gregory. 


THE  LITTLE  THEATRE  OF  KANSAS  CITY 

THE  Harlequin  Players  of  the  Little  Theatre  of  Kan- 
sas City,  Kan.,  were  established  in  1917  by  Ann  Peppard. 
Their  director  is  Charles  Edwards  and  he  has  under  him 
a  completely  organized  theatre  staff,  including  five  pro- 
ducers. The  scenic  designs  of  this  theatre  are  by  Theo- 
dore M.  Criley.  The  Little  Theatre  company  is  composed 
wholly  of  amateurs — very  ambitious  amateurs  if  one  may 
judge  by  the  policy  outlined  on  their  gray  program  with 
its  bowing  harlequin  figures.  The  outlined  policy  runs 
thus: 

"  We  wish  to  be  considered  a  part  of  the  Little  The- 
atre movement  in  the  United  States — and  that  movement 
means,  we  take  it,  not  a  quarrel  with  the  theatre  as  it  is, 
but  an  objection  to  the  narrow  scope  of  it.  We  want, 
in  short,  not  less  but  more  of  the  commercial  drama — 
more,  not  in  quantity  but  in  range.  It  is  in  order  to 
supply  this  range  that  groups  of  people  all  over  the  coun- 
try— people  not  necessarily  closely  connected  with  the 
stage  as  it  is,  but  interested  in  experimental  trials  of  new 
kinds  of  plays,  scenery,  costumes,  and  unities,  have  at- 
tempted in  a  pure  amateur  spirit  to  give  vent  to  their 
ideas  and  aspirations — though  not  always  with  amateur 
material. 

"  Our  first  object  is  to  amuse.  But  we  believe  that  even 
those  of  you  who  love  the  theatre  best  sometimes  feel  a 

164 


THE  LITTLE  THEATRE  OF  KANSAS  CITY    165 

need.  It  is  as  if  an  intelligent  reader,  doomed  to  spend 
his  life  in  a  library  filled  only  with  books  of  detective 
stories,  crook  stories,  eternal  triangle  stories,  society 
stories,  stories  of  courtesans,  and  stories  of  the  great 
Northwest  should  long,  for  one  brief  evening,  to  read 
a  few  pages,  say  of  Kenneth  Grahame  or  of  Homer,  or 
of  Flaubert,  or  of  Lewis  Carroll. 

"  Another  of  our  objects  is  to  crystallize  dramatically 
the  local  scene.  Instead  of  the  familiar  comic  cockney, 
is  it  not  possible  to  have  a  comic  Kansan?  Instead  of 
drawing-room  conversation  in  the  great  hall  of  the  Duke 
of  Dewlap's  castle,  can  we  not  have  something  equally 
racy  in  a  similar  apartment  on  Armour  Boulevard  ?  These 
we  believe  legitimate  objects  and  to  them  we  subscribe 
our  hands  and  hearts. 

"THE  HARLEQUIN  PLAYERS." 

It  is  interesting  to  note  that  a  play  of  Kansas  life  has 
already  been  given:  The  Bully,  by  James  F.  Goodman, 
with  its  scene  laid  in  the  mining  district  of  Southeastern 
Kansas. 

Among  the  plays  produced  by  the  Harlequin  Players 
have  been  The  Price  of  Orchids,  by  Winifred  Hawk- 
bridge;  Helena's  Husband,  by  Philip  Moeller;  The  Shep- 
herd in  the  Distance,  by  Holland  Hudson;  The  Bully, 
aforementioned,  by  James  F.  Goodman. 


THE  LITTLE  THEATRE  OF  ERIE,  PENN. 

The  Little  Theatre  of  Erie,  Penn.,  is  a  thriving  insti- 
tution. It  follows  the  note  dominant  in  so  many  experi- 
mental Little  Theatres  today,  namely,  it  stresses  the  work 
of  American  authors.  Among, the  dramas  that  it  has 
produced  have  been  Dawn;  A  House  of  Cards,  and  The 
Noble  Lord,  by  Percival  Wilde. 


THE  LITTLE  THEATRE  OF  BROOKVILLE,  PENN. 

The  Little  Theatre  of  Brookville,  Penn.,  is  another 
small  and  promising  playhouse  which  has  featured  the 
same  plays  by  Mr.  Wilde  that  have  been  given  in  the 
Little  Theatre  of  Erie,  Penn. 


166 


OTHER  LITTLE  THEATRES  AND  MOVEMENTS 
TOWARD  LITTLE  THEATRES 

IT  is  a  little  hard  to  know  where  to  place  the  so-called 
LITTLE  THEATER  OF  MINNEAPOLIS.  A  start  toward  hav- 
ing a  Little  Theatre  has  been  made  by  using  one  of  the 
halls  of  Minnesota  University.  It  can  hardly  be  called 
a  Laboratory  Theatre  since  only  occasional  performances 
connected  with  the  playwrighting  course  are  given  there. 
It  is  used  for  so  many  different  functions  that  it  can 
scarcely  claim  the  permanent  title  of  a  Little  Theatre. 
Yet  undoubtedly  a  Little  Theatre  may  in  time  grow  from 
the  work  accomplished  there,  particularly  when  that  work 
includes  performances  of  new  and  unusual  plays  of  such 
sterling  worth  as  Jeanette  Mark's  prize  plays  of  Welsh 
life,  The  Merry  Merry  Cuckoo,  and  Welsh  Honeymoon, 
which  have  already  been  given  there. 

A  Little  Theatre  has  been  discussed  for  St.  Paul;  but 
as  yet  no  definite  plans  for  it  can  be  announced  though 
seed  for  the  venture  was  sown  by  a  set  of  experimental 
performances  given  there  three  years  ago  by  Sam  Hume, 
now  director  of  the  Arts  and  Crafts  Theatre  of  Detroit. 

Other  cities  who  have  groups  working  toward  the  es- 
tablishment of  Little  Theatres  are  Pittsburgh,  Cincinnati, 
and  Portland,  Ore. 


167 


CHAPTER  VIII 

THE  LITTLE  THEATRES  OF  THE  SOUTH 
THE  VAGABOND  THEATRE  OF  BALTIMORE 

To  some  readers  the  name  of  Baltimore's  Little  The- 
atre, The  Vagabond,  may  suggest  a  group  of  players  who 
travel  about  the  country  acting  first  in  one  place  and  then 
in  another — after  the  manner  of  some  of  the  journeys  of 
the  Portmanteau  Theatre.  But  the  word  Vagabond  in 
this  instance  is  meant  to  suggest  untrammeled  freedom 
of  mind  rather  than  a  roving  foot.  The  theatre  is  sta- 
tionary; but  its  spirit,  like  the  spirit  of  the  true  vaga- 
bond, is  free,  experimental,  eager. 

On  the  cover  of  its  large  square  program  of  heavy  gray 
paper  there  is  the  picture  of  a  fifteenth  century  vaga- 
bond, Frangois  Villon-ish  in  his  aspect.  A  cap  with  a 
feather ;  a  debonair  and  tattered  tunic ;  the  famous  bundle 
and  stick  without  which  no  vagabond  can  pass  muster — 
these  complete  his  make-up,  and  conspicuously  carried 
with  the  stick  and  the  bundle  are  the  immemorial  masks 
of  tragedy  and  comedy. 

On  the  back  page  of  the  program  is  printed  the  avowed 
hope  and  purpose  of  the  organization. 

'  The  Vagabond  Players  is  a  group  of  artists,  actors, 
and  authors  interested  in  stimulating  and  developing  new 

169 


170    THE  LITTLE  THEATRES  OF  THE  SOUTH 

and  artistic  methods  of  producing,  acting,  and  writing  for 
the  American  stage  and  especially  in  introducing  to  the 
Baltimore  public  those  newer  ideals  which  have  lately 
become  an  intrinsic  part  of  dramatic  aspiration — princi- 
pally freedom  and  free  experiment. 

"  The  intention  of  the  Vagabond  Players  is  to  produce 
new  works  by  American  authors  and  important  plays  of 
foreign  writers  that  would  otherwise  not  be  seen  in 
Baltimore. 

"  Admission  will  be  by  subscription.  The  price  is 
$10.00  for  one  and  $18.00  for  two  subscriptions  for  the 
season.  A  subscription  admits  the  holder  to  one  per- 
formance of  each  bill,  the  same  night  every  month. 

"  Subscriptions  are  open  to  all  who  are  interested,  and 
may  be  obtained  upon  application  to  the  treasurer. 

"  Single  seats  may  be  had  at  the  request  of  any  sub- 
scriber upon  application  to  the  treasurer/' 

Location  always  adds  its  quota  toward  a  Little  The- 
atre's success;  and  the  Vagabond  Theatre  is  most  happy 
in  this  respect.  It  is  in  West  Center  Street,  a  pebble's 
throw  from  historic  Monument  Square. 

Before  being  remade  into  a  theatre  it  was  a  store, 
though  it  has  become  so  splendidly  metamorphosed  that 
no  one  would  ever  recognize  it.  It  is  on  the  ground 
floor,  and  is  entered  directly  from  the  street. 

The  interior  of  the  Vagabond  Theatre  has  been  de- 
signed by  one  of  the  theatre's  directors,  Carol  M.  Sax 
— an  artist  whose  scenic  designs  for  Ruth  St.  Denis 
are  among  the  best  she  has  had  so  far.  This  in- 
terior carries  out  the  Frangois  Villon  idea.  That  "  poet 


THE  VAGABOND  THEATRE  OF  BALTIMORE    171 

vagabond,"  could  he  see  it,  would  hardly  fail  to  be 
pleased.  The  whole  interior  breathes  an  aroma  of  the 
mediaeval.  The  walls  are  gray;  the  ceiling  beamed  in 
weathered  wood.  The  seats  are  Gothic  benches.  They 
have  blue  cushions.  The  curtain  is  a  tapestry  of  patches 
—like  the  great  cloak  of  a  prince  of  vagabonds.  It  gives 
the  effect  of  something  rich  and  faded — a  mingling  of 
gray  and  old  gold,  Venetian  blue  and  old  rose — with 
here  and  there  a  patterned  bit  on  which  birds  or  flowers 
are  faintly  discernible.  The  proscenium  border  is  dull 
gold  with  an  outer  border  of  dull  blue.  Sconces  break 
the  line  of  the  wall.  Here  and  there  hang  pieces  of 
tapestry.  All  in  all  The  Vagabond  can  boast  one  of  the 
most  charming  interiors  of  any  Little  Theatre  in  America. 
It  seats  sixty  people,  making  it  one  of  the  smallest 
theatres  in  this  country.  Its  stage  is  raised  some  three 
and  a  half  or  four  feet  from  the  floor.  The  whole  house 
—with  the  exception  of  a  few  seats — is  sold  out  by  sub- 
scription. That  is,  the  subscribers  are  the  actual  guar- 
antors, though  they  have  no  voice  in  the  affairs  of  the 
theatre.  Out  of  sixty  seats  there  are  five  seats  left. 
These  can  be  purchased  from  members  at  $2.00  apiece. 
Two  performances  a  week  are  given  throughout  the 
season.  Each  bill  plays  a  month.  The  price  of  seats  of 
The  Vagabond,  so  far  as  is  known,  are  higher  than  at 
any  other  Little  Theatre  in  the  United  States ;  for  there 
are  no  one  dollar  or  fifty  cent  seats  to  be  obtained  by  the 
general  public  even  on  special  days.  The  small  seating 
capacity  of  The  Vagabond  doubtless  has  something  to 
(Jo  with  this.  A  theatre  with  only  sixty  seats  must  cal- 


172     THE  LITTLE  THEATRES  OF  THE  SOUTH 

culate  carefully.  It  must  have  emergency  funds.  But 
the  Chicago  Little  Theatre  with  a  seating  capacity  of 
ninety  is  able  to  place  dollar  seats  and  fifty  cent  seats  be- 
fore the  public,  even  though  rents  are  higher  in  Chicago 
than  they  are  in  Baltimore.  The  vety  people  whom  a 
Little  Theatre  ought  to  reach — an  art  public  slim  in 
purse  but  large  in  vision — are  by  such  prices  debarred 
from  the  vistas  that  a  Little  Theatre  might  open  for 
them.  And  it  is  not  only  these  people  who  lose.  The 
theatre  itself  loses  one  of  the  essential  things  that  makes 
it  a  Little  Theatre — its  democracy.  It  becomes  a  clique 
theatre.  This  is  the  only  fault  that  one  can  find  with 
The  Vagabond  Theatre  and  its  many  excellencies.  Its 
directors,  Mrs.  Adele  Nathan  and  Mr.  Carol  Sax,  worked 
valiantly  first  to  arouse  interest  in  the  Little  Theatre  idea 
in  Baltimore,  and  secondly  to  establish  the  Little  The- 
atre after  interest  had  been  secured.  It  is  largely  due  to 
their  efforts  that  there  is  a  Little  Theatre  in  Baltimore. 
Baltimoreans  are  to  a  gratifying  degree  represented 
in  The  Vagabond  Theatre  work.  Baltimore  has  long 
been  the  Winter  home  of  many  American  artists  of  note, 
and  several  of  these  have  given  generously  of  their  time 
and  work,  among  them  Joseph  Weyrich,  who  designed 
the  scenery  for  A  Merry  Death.  Clementine  Walker, 
Raymond  Sovey,  and  Oliver  Bell  are  others  who  have 
done  scenic  work  for  The  Vagabond.  Baltimore  play- 
wrights are  represented  by  Henry  L.  Mencken  and 
Mrs.  Adele  Nathan.  The  former's  play,  The  Artist,  was 
given  an  early  production  at  The  Vagabond;  and  The 
Vagabond's  single  effort  at  pantomime — The  Song  of 


THE  VAGABOND  THEATRE  OF  BALTIMORE    173 

Solomon,  by  Adele  Nathan,  was  rich  in  the  colors 
of  the  East.  Thus  The  Vagabond  Theatre  expresses 
the  native  art-impulse  of  the  city  of  Baltimore,  and  any 
theatre  with  such  beginnings  is  bound  to  go  far.  It  does 
not  rely  altogether  on  outside  forces ;  but  draws  its  forces 
from  within  itself,  a  thing  that  makes  for  permanence  and 
stability.  It  goes  without  saying  that  the  company  of 
Vagabond  Players  are  all  Baltimoreans,  some  of  them 
possessed  of  a  fine  degree  of  talent. 

No  one  connected  with  the  theatre  receives  a  salary 
save  the  stage  carpenter.  There  is  a  large  corps  of  work- 
ers and  as  Little  Theatres  go  the  permanent  cast  is  a 
large  one.  There  are  at  least  thirty  people  who  can  be 
drawn  upon  at  short  notice. 

The  Vagabond  Theatre  devotes  all  its  energies  to  pro- 
ducing the  one-act  play.  Longer  plays  are  not  given  as 
yet.  Three  one-act  plays  an  evening  is  the  rule.  The 
opening  bill,  November,  1916,  consisted  of  The  Artist, 
by  H.  L.  Mencken ;  Ryland,  by  Thos.  Wood  Stevens  and 
Kenneth  S.  Goodman,  and  A  Merry  Death,  by  Nicolai 
Evrienof.  In  the  latter  play  the  austerity  of  the  new 
stage  art  was  manifest. 

The  whole  scene  setting  of  Ryland  was  worked  out  in 
gray  and  mauve  with  touches  of  white.  The  prison  walls 
were  cold  gray;  while  the  eighteenth  century  costumes 
of  the  actors  were  orchid-like  in  color,  running  through 
a  scale  of  lavenders  and  purples.  This  scene  setting  was 
designed  by  Carol  M.  Sax. 

In  A  Merry  Death  the  walls  again  were  gray.  Through 
a  quaintly  shaped  doorway  were  glimpsed  queer  bpxlike 


174     THE  LITTLE  THEATRES  OF  THE  SOUTH 

trees  against  a  yellow  sky.  A  bright  orange  table ;  some 
three-legged  gray  stools;  a  narrow  orange-colored  four- 
post  bed  with  a  canopy  of  black  and  white  cubes  com- 
prised the  rest  of  the  setting.  The  walls  were  unadorned 
save  for  a  window  high  in  the  wall  giving  on  the  out- 
side, and  a  round  clock  measuring  the  hours  hung  near 
the  bed.  Outside  the  window,  just  visible  to  the  audi- 
ence, was  a  blackbird  in  a  wicker  cage.  This  set  was  by 
Joseph  Weyrich,  who  designed  the  interior  of  the  Prov- 
incetown  Players  Theatre  in  New  York.  Its  fantastical 
atmosphere  was  in  exact  accord  with  the  spirit  of  the 
play  that  recounts  the  merry  death  of  Harlequin.  Yet 
it  was  obtained  by  the  simplest  possible  means. 

In  a  later  production  of  Susan  Glaspell's  Freudian 
comedy,  Suppressed  Desires,  there  was  a  plain  wall  with 
stenciled  medalions,  highly  decorative  furniture,  and  a 
striking  note  obtained  by  the  use  of  widely  striped  cur- 
tains that  stamped  the  room  with  an  air  of  oddness  and 
chic — the  room  in  question  being  a  studio  in  Washington 
Square  South.  In  these  effects,  always  simply  attained, 
the  Vagabond  Players  excel. 

The  programs  of  The  Vagabond  Theatre  bring  before*' 
the  public  plays  by  Baltimoreans;  plays  that  other  Little 
Theatres  are  giving;  and  plays  that  are  acknowledged 
masterpieces  in  America  and  Europe.  These  Vagabond 
programs  are  well  spiced  with  variety,  and  are  most  hap- 
pily arranged.  For  instance,  the  first  program  was  an 
art  program — music,  represented  by  Mr.  Mencken's  play ; 
painting,  by  Mr.  Stevens'  play;  and  acting,  by  Evrienof s 
A  Merry  Death.  Another  program  was  a  program  of 


Above,   a  scene   from   Lord   Dunsany's   The   Glittering   Gate,  at? THE 

ARTS  AND  CRAFTS  THEATRE,  DETROIT,  MICH.     Scene  Jdesi^'ied 

by  Sam  Hume.     (See  Page  152.) 

Below,  scene  from  Thomas  Wood  Stevens  and  Kenneth  S    vloodnrin's 

Ryland,  at  THE  VAGABOND  THEATRE,  BALTIMORE,  Mb.    jScene  " 

designed  by  Carol  Sax. 


THE  VAGABOND  THEATRE  OF  BALTIMORE    175 

"  isms."  Nationalism,  represented  through  The  Betrayal, 
by  Padraic  Colum;  Freudianism,  represented  by  Sup- 
pressed Desires,  and  Socialism,  represented  by  Contem- 
poraries, by  Wilbur  Daniel  Steele.  All  this  marks  high 
tide  in  the  art  of  program-making,  for  which  The  Vaga- 
bond's director,  Mrs.  Adele  Nathan,  is  responsible. 

In  giving  a  cross  section  of  what  other  Little  Theatres 
are  doing  the  Vagabond  Players  strike  a  new  and  happy 
note.  They  do  not  copy  other  Little  Theatres  in  either 
the  setting  or  the  costuming  of  the  plays.  It  is  as  if 
they  simply  said :  "  Here  is  a  play  done  by  the  Wash- 
ington Square  Players.  Here  is  a  play  done  by  the 
Provincetown  Players.  This  is  what  they  are  doing  at 
the  Little  Theatre  in  Chicago  and  this  is  what  they  are 
doing  at  the  Neighborhood  Playhouse  in  New  York. 
You  have  seen  what  the  Vagabond  Players  have  pro- 
duced. Now  take  a  look  at  what  other  Little  Theatres 
are  accomplishing  in  other  parts  of  the  country." 

Too  many  Little  Theatres  forget  that  there  are  any 
other  players  in  the  world  besides  themselves.  The 
Vagabond  Players  give  a  sense  of  cosmopolitanism. 
Their  work  shows  a  consciousness  of  their  own  world, 
and  of  other  worlds  outside  it.  They  have  given  not 
only  the  work  of  other  Little  American  Theatres;  but 
the  work  of  five  different  countries  besides  America, 
namely,  Russia,  Belgium,  England,  Ireland,  and  Sweden. 

The  Vagabond  Theatre  is  a  much-needed  art  center  for 
Baltimore,  and  that  city  can  well  be  glad  to  have  the  new 
and  significant  things  of  drama  brought  into  its  midst 
through  the  efforts  of  this  pioneer  group. 


i?6     THE  LITTLE  THEATRES  OF  THE  SOUTH 

The  repertoire  of  The  Vagabond  Theatre  has  been  as 
follows : 

<r 

The  Artist,  by  Henry  Mencken;  Ryland,  by  Thomas 
Wood  Stevens;  The  Merry  Death,  by  Evrienof;  Bound 
East  for  Cardiff,  by  Eugene  O'Neill;  The  Stronger,  by 
Strindberg;  A  Miracle  of  St.  Anthony,  by  Maeterlinck; 
Contemporaries,  by  Daniel  Wilbert  Steele ;  The  Betrayal,  by 
Pardaic  Colum ;  Suppressed  Desires,  by  Susan  Glaspell  and 
George  Cram  Cooke ;  The  Double  Miracle,  by  Robert  Gar- 
land ;  The  Song  of  Solomon,  by  Adele  Nathan ;  The  Maker 
of  Dreams,  by  Oliphant  Down;  The  Theatre  of  the  Soul, 
by  Evrienof;  Black  'Ell,  by  Myles  Maleson,  and  Over- 
ruled, by  George  Bernard  Shaw. 


THE  LITTLE  THEATRE  OF  WASHINGTON,  D.  C. 

THE  Drama  League  Players  of  Washington,  D.  C., 
founded  1916-1917,  intend  to  establish  a  Little  Theatre 
in  Washington  where  they  will  present  "  in  an  artistic 
manner,  for  discriminating  audiences,  plays  of  a  high 
order  not  otherwise  or  often  produced  on  the  com- 
mercial stage.  It  is  hoped  that  from  this  beginning  a 
National  Theatre  will  eventually  be  evolved. 

Since  the  Drama  League  Players  have  no  Little  The- 
atre building  as  yet,  they  used  during  1916-1917  the 
auditorium  of  the  Wilson  Normal  School,  seating  800 
people.  The  price  of  seats  was  fifty  cents.  The  director 
of  the  theatre  is  Bertram  Bloch.  During  the  1916-1917 
season  a  number  of  interesting  plays  were  produced. 
Some  American  authors  were  represented  but  there  were 
a  greater  number  of  productions  of  plays  by  foreign 
authors.  If  the  Drama  League  Players  of  Washington 
hope  to  have  their  Little  Theatre  grow  into  a  National 
Theatre,  it  would  appear  that  the  time  is  ripe  for  them 
to  begin  producing  plays  by  American  authors.  No  Na- 
tional Theatre  has  ever  had  its  beginnings  rooted  in  the 
work  of  foreign  authors.  The  Irish  Players,  the  Man- 
chester Players,  and  the  Players  in  Wyspiansky's  The- 
atre began  by  giving  native  works,  not  imported  dramas. 

As  far  as  a  Little  Theatre  rather  than  a  National  The- 
atre goes,  the  Drama  League  Players  of  Washington  offer 

177 


i?8     THE  LITTLE  THEATRES  OF  THE  SOUTH 

a  most  interesting  program  for  next  Winter,  largely  made 
up  of  works  by  English  and  American  authors. 

The  Drama  League  Players  as  an  organization  is  com- 
posed of  gifted  amateurs.  Some  of  the  plays  produced 
by  the  Drama  League  Players  have  been :  The  Tragedy 
of  Nan,  by  Masefield;  Cathleen  niy  Houlihan,  by  Yeats; 
Lady  Patricia,  by  Besier;  and  Suppressed  Desires,  by 
Susan  Glaspell  and  George  Cram  Cooke.  During  1917- 
1918  they  will  produce  for  the  first  time  in  this  coun- 
try a -new  Bernard  Shaw  play,  Augustus  Does  His  Bit. 
They  will  also  give  The  Admirable  Bashville,  by  Shaw, 
and  Jane  Clegg,  by  St.  John  Ervine,  as  well  as  The  Faith 
Healer,  by  Moody;  The  Leader,  by  Jeremiah  O'Connor; 
The  People,  by  Susan  Glaspell;  Spring  in  Bloomsbury, 
by  Harold  Brighouse;  The  Christening  Robe,  by  Anne 
li  Estabrook ;  *Bound  East  from  Cardiff,  by  Eugene 
O'Neill;  A  Doctor  in  Spite  of  Himself,  by  Moliere. 


THE  LITTLE  THEATRE  OF  NEW  ORLEANS 

THE  New  Orleans  center  of  the  Drama  League  pur- 
poses having  a  Little  Theatre,  and  will  begin  active  work 
in  the  Autumn  of  1917.  The  idea  of  having  a  Little 
Theatre  has  been  fostered  by  the  play-producing  com- 
mittee of  the  New  Orleans  center.  The  plans  for  the 
policy  of  this  new  Little  Theatre  are  not  fully  matured. 
As  in  other  Little  Theatres  special  interest  is  centered  in 
the  production  of  one-act  plays,  plays  new  to  New 
Orleans,  which  the  citizens  of  that  city  might  not  other- 
wise see.  The  audience  will  at  first  be  composed  of  the 
300  members  of  the  New  Orleans  center.  Whether  or 
not  there  will  be  other  subscribers  has  not  yet  been  de- 
termined upon.  Until  such  time  as  the  Little  Theatre  is 
rented,  or  built,  Gibson  Hall  in  Tulane  University  will 
be  used  as  a  Little  Theatre.  The  Beau  of  Bath,  and 
Counsel  Retained,  by  Constance  D'Arcy  Mackay,  have 
been  chosen  for  the  opening  bill  of  this  Little  Theatre. 


179 


THE  LITTLE  THEATRE  OF  LOUISVILLE 

Louisville,  Ky.,  is  also  organizing  a  Little  Theatre,  and 
the  preliminary  meetings  have  already  been  held.  The 
theater  company  will  begin  work  in  the  Autumn  of  1917. 
Until  such  time  as  a  permanent  Little  Theatre  can  be  se- 
cured the  performances  will  take  place  in  a  local  theatre 
and  the  admission  will  be  nominal.  A  committee  has 
been  formed  to  pass  on  all  prospective  members.  Any 
one  interested  in  acting,  designing,  or  playwrighting,  is 
eligible  to  membership.  The  policy  of  the  theatre  will 
be  to  produce  plays  which  are  not  usually  seen  upon  the 
commercial  stage,  in  particular  the  one-act  play. 

The  object  of  the  organization  is  "  to  produce  either 
plays  of  known  value  or  new  and  untried  plays.  It  prom- 
ises to  be  a  stimulant  to  unknown  writers  for  the  stage, 
who  are  cordially  invited  to  submit  their  plays  to  the 
play-reading  committee  for  perusal." 


180 


CHAPTER  IX 

LABORATORY  THEATRES 

No  history  of  the  Little  Theatre  movement  in  the 
United  States  would  be  complete  without  a  survey  of 
the  work  done  in  the  Laboratory  Theatres  of  universi- 
ties. This  does  not  mean  the  excellent  but  sporadic 
"  special  performances "  that  color  university  life 
throughout  the  year.  The  work  of  the  Yale  and  Har- 
vard Dramatic  Clubs  and  those  of  Columbia  and  Prince- 
ton are  interesting  in  themselves;  but  these  performances 
do  not  constitute  a  theatre  where  genuine  repertory 
exists,  where  students  work  out  their  own  dramatic  prob- 
lems in  scenic  effects,  and  lighting;  in  costuming  and 
program-making.  The  occasional  dramatic  performances 
of  universities  are  of  interest  to  the  relatives  and  well- 
wishers  of  those  taking  part;  they  are  often  interesting 
also  from  an  historical  point  of  view  as  revivals  of  old 
plays — The  Alchemist  at  Harvard,  or  Troilus  and  Cres- 
sida  at  Yale.  But  the  Laboratory  Theatres  of  univer- 
sities, on  the  other  hand,  produce  old  plays  only  occa- 
sionally. Their  work  is  of  the  present;  their  produc- 
tions have  contemporary  interests;  they  appeal  to  the 
general  public — not  to  an  archeological  public.  They 
make  a  point  of  trying  out  plays  for  the  first  time  on 
any  stage.  As  soon  as  one  production  is  completed 


182  LABORATORY  THEATRES 

another  is  under  way,  almost  as  it  is  in  a  good  stoc 
company. 

The  longer  play  and  the  one-act  play  usually  alter 
nate  on  Laboratory  Theatre  programs.  The  studen 
workers  in  these  university  theatres  are  striving  to  per 
feet  their  technique  in  the  arts  of  the  stage — therefor 
there  is  definite  standard  to  the  productions. 


HARVARD'S  47  WORKSHOP  THEATRE 

Twenty  years  ago  to  have  said  that  the  art  of  the 
theatre  should  receive  recognition  as  a  fine  art  and  count 
as  points  toward  a  college  degree  would  have  seemed 
like  suggesting  the  wildest  nonsense.  Yet  today  it  is 
accepted  as  an  interesting  rather  than  a  revolutionary 
fact. 

The  pioneer  in  this  movement  was  Professor  George 
Pierce  Baker  of  Harvardt  who  pstahlishpH  flip  first  nr»i~ 
versity  course  in  playwrighting  in  this  country  jand  the 
first  University  Laboratory  Theatre.  His  work  in  teach- 
ing debate  and  polemics  as  well  as  his  course  in  English 
drama  led  to  his  evolving  a  course  now  widely  and  collo- 
quially known  as  English  47 — 47  being  the  number  of 
the  course  in  the  college  curriculum. 

This  course  teaches  the  principles  of  playwrighting  to 
a  limited  class  dubbed  "  Baker's  Dozen  " — twelve  of 
whom  are  students  of  Harvard  and  twelve  at  Radcliffe. 
On  the  rostrum  of  those  who  represent  the  success  of 
the  Baker  method  are  the  names  of  Edward  Sheldon, 
Edward  Knoblauch,  Jules  Eckert  Goodman,  Josephine 
Preston  Peabody,  Frederick  Ballard,  Cleaves  Kinkaid,  and 
Lewis  Beach. 

The  classes  of  men  and  women  are  taught  separately. 
The  course  lasts  one  college  year,  and  students  for  it 
must  send  in  competitive  plays.  There  is  also  a  scholar- 

183 


184  LABORATORY  THEATRES 

ship  in  connection  with  it — the  McDowell  Fellowship, 
entitling  a  student  to  the  full  course.  It  is  a  competitive 
fellowship,  won  by  the  best  three-act  or  four-act  play 
submitted  by  any  young  man  or  woman  who  has  not 
previously  taken  English  47.  Quite  apart  from  Pro- 
fessor Baker's  interesting  and  stimulating  lectures  .there 
are  other  strong  drawing  cards  for  the  dramatically 
ambitious.  There  is  the  Craig  prize,  consisting  of  $500; 
$250  of  which  goes  to  the  Harvard  Dramatic  Library 
and  $250  to  the  lucky  winner  who  has  the  pleasure  and 
instruction  of  seeing  his  play  staged  for  a  run  at  the 
Castle  Square  Theatre  in  Boston,  one  of  the  best  stock 
companies  in  America.  This  play  must  be  written  while 
its  author  is  a  student  in  English  47.  Plays  written  a 
year  after  aspiring  dramatists  have  left  the  course  are 
not  entitled  to  consideration. 

The  Harvard  Dramatic  Club  is  another  source  through 
which  Professor  Baker's  students  are  given  an  oppor- 
tunity to  visualize  their  plays. 

It  would  seem  with  all  these  activities  as  if  the  stu- 
dents had  enough  to  satisfy  the  most  voraciously  ambi- 
tious. But  they  cannot  all  hope  to  win  the  Craig  prize, 
so  an  auditorium  standing  in  one  of  the  college  buildings 
was  developed  into  a  little  Laboratory  Theatre,  the  first 
Workshop  Theatre  in  this  country." 

Everything  about  this  theatre  is  done  by  the  students 
themselves,  with  Professor  Baker  as  guiding  spirit  or 
chief  regisseur,  assisted  by  an  executive  committee  of 
graduate  students.  Thus  the  work  of  the  class  room  is 
related  to  definite  action. 


HARVARD'S  47  WORKSHOP  THEATRE      185 

The  Workshop  Theatre  was  established  in  1912  and 
proved  so  popular  with  the  student  workers  that  all  who 
applied  could  not  be  accommodated.  So  in  1916  a  Sum- 
mer course  was  established  for  teachers  and  students  who 
flocked  to  it  from  all  parts  of  the  country.  "The  47 
Workshop,"  as  Professor  Baker  says,  "  is  not  in  the  usual 
sense  a  theatre.  It  is  simply  what  the  name  implies,  a 
working  place  for  young  dramatists." 

The  Agassiz  Theatre,  decorated  in  quiet  colors,  seats 
300  people.  The  stage  is  adequate,  barring  the  fact  that 
entrances  are  only  at  right  and  left,  and  that  the  posi- 
tion of  some  jutting  masonry  has  to  be  taken  into  account 
whenever  scenes  are  designed.  There  is  no  possible  place 
to  stack  scenery  "  in  back."  These  limitations,  outwardly 
drawbacks,  stimulate  the  ingenuity  of  the  student.  De- 
spite these  hindrances  other  entrances  are  "  arranged." 
Scenes  are  miraculously  taken  down  and  set  up. 

It  is  obvious  that  of  all  the  people  taking  the  course, 
few  will  turn  out  to  be  professional  playwrights.  Pro- 
fessor Baker  himself  says  that  he  is  content  if  he  turns 
out  one,  or  at  the  most  two,  successful  playwrights  a  year. 
Many  students  who  come  to  him  as  embryo  playwrights 
develop  theatre  talents  other  than  playwrighting.  They 
work  at  stage  management,  and  scenic  designs;  at  cos- 
tume designs;  at  the  decorative  type  of  drama  such  as 
pageantry  and  masque.  And  last  but  not  least  many  of 
the  students  return  to  their  home  towns  enkindled  with 
the  idea  of  starting  a  Little  Theatre.  Thus  the  very 
difficulties  offered  by  the  47  Workshop  stage  become 
assets.  The  students  are  equipped  to  cope  with  handi- 


i86  LABORATORY  THEATRES 

caps,  to  "  use  what  they  have  to  obtain  what  they  have 
not,"  as  the  ancient  Greeks  were  fond  of  saying.  More- 
over, they  are  trained  in  methods  of  economy  other  than 
space  economy.  They  learn  how  to  create  colorful  effects 
from  very  simple  material,  and  to  manipulate  expense 
accounts  accordingly — no  small  thing  when  it  comes  to 
the  running  of  a  Little  Theatre.  Also  they  have  actual 
experience  in  stage  lighting — the  lighting  falling  largely 
to  the  care  of  the  men  students ;  while  to  the  women  the 
actual  making  of  costumes  sometimes  accrues,  down  to 
the  veritable  cutting  out,  basting,  and  sewing  together. 
Also  it  is  largely  the  women  students  who  hunt  for  props 
and  accessories — tiny  notes  that  "  build  "  the  atmosphere 
of  a  play. 

Plays  for  the  47  Workshop  performances  are  chosen 
through  competition:  when  the  script  has  been  selected 
for  production,  the  designs  for  its  setting  are  likewise 
selected  competitively. 

Admission  to  the  performances  is  by  invitation, 
"  rigidly  restricted  to  persons  interested  in  such  experi- 
mentation as  the  Workshop  offers."  Past  and  present 
members  of  English  47  as  well  as  students  from  Pro- 
fessor Baker's  courses  in  dramatic  literature  form  one- 
half  the  audience;  the  other  half  is  drawn  from  Cam- 
bridge and  Boston.  Since  the  demise  of  the  Toy  Theatre 
the  47  Workshop  Theatre  is  the  only  Little  Theatre  ir 
Boston  or  Cambridge. 

Though  invitation  tickets  are  free,  each  person  attend- 
ing the  play  is  requested  (and  in  the  case  of  students 
required)  to  send  in  a  criticism  of  not  more  than  four 


HARVARD'S  47  WORKSHOP  THEATRE      187 

pages.  By  this  means  Professor  Baker  seeks  to  subject 
the  play  to  "  as  many  different  kinds  of  judgment  as 
possible."  That  these  criticisms  may  be  terse  and  to  the 
point  the  following  printed  suggestions  are  given  to  the 
amateur  critics : 

1.  Does  the  playwright  leave  you  clear  as  to  his  pur- 
pose both  as  to  theme  and  kind  of  play, — whether  farce, 
comedy,  or  what?     If  so,  judge  him  by  what  he  has 
tried  to  do.     The  question  is,  not  how  you  would  have 
treated  the  subject,  but  whether  for  you  the  author  has 
succeeded  or  failed  in  what  he  has  tried  to  do,  and  why. 

2.  Don't  judge  the  play  till  all  the  evidence  is  in. 
Today,  too  many  audiences  let  a  first  or  second  act  preju- 
dice them  for  or  against  the  whole  play. 

3.  Don't  trust  your  first  impressions  at  the  call  of 
the  final  curtain.     Before  making  the  report,  think  over 
these  instinctive  judgments,  verifying  them  by  details  of 
the  play  which  recur  to  you. 

4.  Don't  confuse  the  work  of  author,  actors,  and  pro- 
ducer in  the  success  or  failure  of  the  play.     Give  each 
his  share  in  what  must  be  co-operative  work. 

5.  In  praise  or  censure  try  to  indicate  where  in  the 
play  you  find  your  evidence  for  your  conclusions,  and 
whether  failure  or  success  lies  in  story,  characterization, 
dialogue,  or  structure. 

6.  Be  as  severe  as  you  like  if  fair  and  specific:  the 
general  and  the  clever  are  not  helpful. 

"  All  plays  given  first  production  by  the  47  Workshop 
have  thus  been  reworked,"  says  the  prospectus. 

These  criticisms  are  signed  as  a  guarantee  of  good 


i88  LABORATORY  THEATRES 

faith.  Then  the  names  of  the  amateur  critics  are  re- 
moved and  the  criticisms  passed  on  to  the  respective 
authors  of  the  plays.  No  professional  critics  are  ad- 
mitted, since  the  plays  produced  are  not  in  their  final 
form.  They  are  plays  in  the  making.  Their  final  re- 
writing occurs  after,  not  before,  the  Workshop  pro- 
duction. 

Whether  or  not  the  student  wishes  to  submit  his  play 
for  production  and  criticism  is  entirely  optional.  Only 
a  percentage  of  the  plays  submitted  to  the  executive  com- 
mittee are  accepted.  As  a  rule  most  of  the  students  are 
extremely  eager  for  a  "  try-out." 

The  student  playwrights  do  not,  save  in  rare  instances, 
rehearse  their  own  plays.  Students  specially  interested 
in  producing  plays  take  charge  of  this  department  under 
the  general  supervision  of  Professor  Baker. 

Acting,  pantomime,  and  diction  are  not  taught  in  the 
Workshop  Theatre  save  incidentally.  There  are  four- 
teen permanent  members  in  the  Workshop  company ;  men 
and  women  selected  by  the  executive  committee  on 
account  of  their  inherent  dramatic  ability.  To  this  group 
are  added  members  of  the  Playwrighting  Course  when 
the  occasion  warrants  it.  Those  wanting  to  act  simply 
go  ahead  and  act — exactly  as  did  the  Irish  Players  in 
their  Dublin  Hall.  The  47  Workshop  Theatre  is  a  play- 
wright's laboratory  theatre — not  a  school  of  acting.  Sim- 
ple naturalistic  playing  is  the  rule. 

The  Workshop  company  is  pledged  to  act  whenever 
called  upon,  and  to  take  the  parts  assigned  without  par- 
ley. Professor  Baker  declares  that  the  Workshop  The- 


HARVARD'S  47  WORKSHOP  THEATRE      189 

atre  owes  its  success  to  the  loyalty  and  spirit  of  this 
group,  who  develop  their  powers  through  the  repertory 
system.  That  is  Professor  Baker's  avowed  opinion.  But 
it  is  the  view  of  outsiders  that  the  Workshop  Theatre 
could  not  exist  save  through  the  herculean  efforts  of 
Professor  Baker,  who  is  at  once  director,  teacher,  lec- 
turer, and  critic. 

The  Workshop  policy  is  to  produce  long  plays  and 
one-act  plays  in  almost  equal  numbers.  Pantomimes  in 
the  Workshop  Theatre  are  few  and  far  between.  But 
some  excellent  work  has  been  done  along  pantomimic 
lines;  Sam  Hume's  Romance  of  the  Rose,  with  decora- 
tions by  Mr.  Hume  and  music  by  Timothy  Spelman, 
being  among  the  best.  Here  the  small  stage  of  the  Work- 
shop Theatre,  blotted  with  moonlight  and  shadow,  gave 
a  sense  of  mysteriousness  not  often  created  on  stages 
thrice  its  size. 

Though  the  Workshop  Theatre  seldom  revives  old 
plays,  it  gave  a  rollickingly  good  performance  of  Pierre 
Patelin  long  before  that  mediaeval  French  farce  reached 
New  York  and  was  set  before  the  patrons  of  the  Wash- 
ington Square  Players.  For  this,  two  extremely  simple 
sets  were  devised,  as  straight  and  prim  of  line  as  are 
some  of  Boutet  de  Monvel's  paintings.  Against  the  gray 
straight  walls  of  the  French  houses  the  plum  and  old 
gold  and  green  and  scarlet  of  the  costumes  were  joy- 
ously effective. 

Why  the  Chimes  Rang,  by  Elizabeth  McFadden,  was 
an  admirable  bit  of  inscenation.  The  first  and  last  acts 
show  the  interior  of  a  peasant's  home  with  brown  walls, 


190  -LABORATORY  THEATRES 

r 
the  red  flame  from  fire  and  candle  gleam  lending  the 

only  touches  of  bright  color.  This  scene  darkened  and 
dissolved  into  a  cathedral  set,  which  had  a  great  win- 
dow in  center  background  of  (imitation)  stained  glass 
through  which  light  streamed  on  a  high  altar  beneath  it, 
gules  of  gorgeous  color  falling  on  it  in  a  pattern.  The 
crowd  of  worshipers  in  the  cathedral  were  in  brilliant 
mediaeval  dress,  cardinal  red,  vivid  blue,  and  orange  pre- 
dominating. The  change  from  shadow  to  this  brilliant 
scene  was  most  effective. 

It  is  in  costume  rather  than  in  modern  settings  that 
the  best  scenic  effects  of  the  Workshop  Theatre  are  ob- 
tained. As  example,  the  outdoor  setting  and  the  mediaeval 
costumes  for  Miss  Wright's  The  Wonder-worker  may 
be  mentioned. 

Among  the  grayly  realistic  plays  the  production  of 
Home  Sweet  Home,  by  Violet  Robinson,  an  American 
drama  play  in  one  act,  is  memorable  for  its  bitter  truth- 
fulness. 

The  Revesby  Sword  Play,  another  revival,  was  a  great 
success,  introducing  as  it  did  the  vigorous  and  beautiful 
sword  and  morris  dances.  This  was  of  course  given  by 
a  cast  of  men. 

The  Workshop  Theatre  also  gave  the  first  production 
of  Eyvind  of  the  Hills,  by  Johann  Sigurj6nsson,  the  Ice- 
landic dramatist.  This  play,  with  its  quaint  Icelandic 
costumes,  its  colorful  yet  starkly  simple  settings,  proved 
so  popular  that  it  was  repeated  in  Jordan  Hall,  Boston. 

The  greater  length  of  time  renders  it  possible  to  stage 
more  plays  in  the  Winter  course  than  in  the  Summer 


!| 

I  iS 


H 

<     H~, 
O 


5-1 


II 


HARVARD'S  47  WORKSHOP  THEATRE      191 

course,  and  perhaps  to  stage  them  a  bit  more  adequately. 
Yet  the  Summer  course  is  of  great  value  to  the  com- 
munity at  large  because  to  it  come  teachers  who  other- 
wise might  have  no  chance  to  acquaint  themselves  with 
the  aspects  of  the  newer  stage  art.  They  bring  back  to 
their  respective  towns  ideas  that  will  aid  in  revolution- 
izing local  college,  seminary,  and  high  school  produc- 
tions, and  through  these  productions  the  feeling  for  what 
is  simple  yet  effective  must  seep  through  to  the  audience 
and  give  them  a  desire  for  better  things  dramatically  than 
they  have  ever  known  before. 

The  plays  produced  by  the  Workshop  have  been  as 
follows : 

WINTER  SEASON,  1913 

Lina  Amuses  Herself,  by  W.  Fenimore  Merrill;  Edu- 
cated, by  Marian  F.  Winnek;  Molly  Make-Believe,  by 
Eleanor  Halliwell  Abbott  Coburn. 

WINTER  SEASON,  1913-1914 

Home  Sweet  Home,  by  Violet  Robinson;  Maitre  Patelin; 
Romance  of  the  Rose,  by  Sam  Hume;  The  Call  of  the 
Mountain,  by  Edwin  Carty  Ranck;  His  Women  Folk,  by 
Abby  Merchant;  Why  the  Chimes  Rang,  by  Elizabeth 
McFadden ;  Ivon  the  Daring,  by  Anna  Sprague  McDonald ; 
The  Revesby  Sword  Play. 

WINTER  SEASON,  1914-1915 

The  Only  Girl  in  Sight,  by  Caroline  H.  Budd;  In  for 
Himself,  by  Mark  W.  Reed;  Nothing  but  Money,  Mar- 
garet Champney ;  Court  Favor,  adapted  from  Oscar  Wilde's 


192  LABORATORY  THEATRES 

The  Infanta's  Birthday,  by  Astrid  Kimball ;  The  Waves  of 
Torre,  by  Ethel  Claire  Randall;  Between  the  Lines,  by 
Charlotte  B.  Chorpenning.  J(This  play  won  the  Craig 
prize  and  was  later  produced  at  the  Castle  Square  Theatre, 
Boston.) 

WINTER  SEASON,  1915-1916 

The  Purple  Dream,  by  Donald  L.  Breed  (one-act)  ;  The 
Rebound  (three  acts),  by  Thomas  P.  Robinson;  Plots  and 
Playwrights,  by  Edward  Massey  (this  play  was  later  pro- 
duced by  the  Washington  Square  Players,  New  York  City)  /' 
Return  of  the  Prodigal,  by  Lewis  Beach;  The  Other  Voice 
(one-act),  by  Sydney  Fairbanks;  Prudence  in  Particular, 
by  Rachael  Barton  Butler. 

SUMMER  SEASON,  1916 
(In  connection  with  the  Harvard  Summer  School) 

The  Wonder-worker,  by  Lucy  Wright;  The  Rescue,  by 
Rita  C.  Smith;  The  Florist  Shop,  by  Winifred  Hawk- 
bridge.  (These  three  were  one-act  plays.)  The  Glory  of 
Their  Years,  by  John  Redhead  Froome,  Jr. 

WINTER  SEASON,  1916-1917 

Will  O'  The  Wisp,  by  Doris  F.  Halman;  The  Colonel's 
Commupence,  by  Katharine  Clugston;  Eyvind  of  the  Hills, 
by  Johann  Sigurjonsson,  Icelandic  dramatist;  Rusted  Stock, 
by  Doris  Halman. 


THE  DARTMOUTH  LABORATORY  THEATRE 

DARTMOUTH  Laboratory  Theatre  work  began  in  ear- 
nest in  the  year  1913,  though  up  to  that  time  there  had 
always  been  a  dramatic  club  which  gave  various  enter- 
tainments throughout  the  year.  But  in  that  year  Wallace 
F.  Robinson  presented  the  Little  Theatre  to  the  college, 
and  Walter  F.  Wanger  was  made  director  of  dramatics, 
although  at  the  time  he  was  only  an  undergraduate. 

Mr.  Wanger's  idea  was  to  make  of  the  Dartmouth 
Dramatic  Association  a  common-sense  practical  munici- 
pal theater  controlled  by  an  undergraduate  stock  com- 
pany. His  policy  has  been  in  force  ever  since.  This 
policy,  as  outlined  by  Gilbert  Swett,  Mr.  Wanger's  suc- 
cessor, is  as  follows : 

"  Our  aims  are  twofold :  First  to  give  as  professional 
finish  as  we  are  capable  of  to  every  production  that  we 
undertake.  We  do  not  seek  to  be  judged,  and,  as  a 
matter  of  fact,  are  not  judged  by  our  audiences  by  ama- 
teur standards.  We  want  them  to  come  to  the  perform- 
ance to  see  the  show  and  not  simply  to  see  Charley  or 
Jim  or  Bill  make  asses  of  themselves.  If  we  are  poor, 
they  tell  us  so  quite  frankly,  and  that  is  what  we  want. 

"  Our  second  aim  is  to  act  as  a  sort  of  clearing  house 
for  whatever  talent  there  may  be  in  the  undergraduate 
body  at  Dartmouth.  Since  we  are  so  dependent  upon 

193 


194)  LABORATORY  THEATRES 

our  efforts  for  everything  in  the  dramatic  line,  it  neces- 
sarily helps  us  to  adhere  to  this  policy.  Playwrights, 
scenic  artists,  composers,  and  men  with  any  dramatic 
ideas  of  any  kind  bring  them  to  us  and  if  they  are  worth 
while,  we  carry  them  out. 

"  There  is  no  tolerance  of  plays  given  because  of  the 
props  of  college  spirit  and  personal  acquaintanceship  with 
the  actors.  There  are  no  fond  mothers  and  aunts  to 
spread  compliments  during  the  customary  post-perform- 
ance dance  so  common  to  amateur — shall  we  say  amateur- 
ish— productions. 

"  At  the  head  of  the  organization  stands  the  director, 
whose  duties  are  to  direct  the  other  officers,  co-ordinate 
all  the  interests,  and  coach  the  acting.  The  stage  man- 
ager has  charge  of  the  scenery  and  electrical  equipment. 
The  property  manager  attends  to  the  properties  and  cos- 
tumes. The  business  manager  attends  to  the  front  of 
the  house  entirely.  The  officers  are  chosen  entirely  by 
competition.  Every  year  the  candidates  from  the  sopho- 
more class  work  throughout  the  year  and  at  the  end 
are  chosen  according  to  their  merit  for  positions  as  the 
assistant  officers.  During  their  junior  year  they  receive 
training  under  their  immediate  superiors  and  are  well 
fitted  to  take  up  the  duties  of  the  major  offices  in  their 
senior  year. 

"  Two  of  the  most  radical  of  our  moves  were  the  elimi- 
nation of  the  professional  coaches  and  the  utilization  of 
the  association  by  playwrights  as  a  laboratory  for  un- 
produced  plays,  which  are  to  be  tried  out  before  an  audi- 
ence before  their  production. 


DARTMOUTH  LABORATORY  THEATRE    195 

"  We  keep  in  constant  touch  with  the  English  depart- 
ments of  Dartmouth  devoted  to  playwrighting  and  are 
always  willing  and  anxious  to  produce  an  undergraduate 
play  if  it  is  at  all  worth  producing. 

"  In  the  recent  number  of  the  Editor,  a  notice  appears 
over  our  name,  offering  our  services  as  a  laboratory  for 
working  out  ideas.  These  ideas  must  be  worth  while, 
practical,  and  interesting.  We  have  already  received  sev- 
eral answers  and  expect  shortly  to  do  something  along 
this  line." 

The  Little  Theatre  in  Robinson  Hall  seats  250  people. 
The  interior  is  cream  color  with  stenciled  decorations 
and  hangings  of  red  velvet.  The  theatre  is  practical  in 
every  way,  even  to  details  of  the  box  office  and  cloak 
room.  In  the  cellar  of  the  building  are  large  bins  in 
which  the  scenery  is  stored,  and  a  special  room  devoted 
entirely  to  costumes.  The  price  of  seats  for  the  entire 
house  of  fifty  cents,  save  at  prom,  commencement,  and 
carnival  weeks,  when  $1.50  is  asked. 

The  stage  decorations  have  been  largely  in  the  hands 
of  one  student  artist,  John  L.  Ames,  who  has  designed 
admirable  scenery  for  most  of  the  plays.  Sometimes 
this  scenery  is  impressionistic;  flat  scenes  without  per- 
spective have  been  made  use  of  a  la  Robert  Jones;  and 
there  have  been  the  usual  modern  sets.  In  one  play 
everything  was  in  black  and  white — scenery,  costumes, 
and  properties.  Another  good  effect  was  secured  through 
covering  the  regular  scenery  "  flats "  with  cambric  of 
different  colors  and  flooding  this  with  vari-colored  lights. 
Again,  extremely  interesting  effects  were  obtained  by 


i96  LABORATORY  THEATRES 

the  use  of  a  white  cheesecloth  cyclorama  painted  with 
light. 

Since  no  women  take  part  in  the  performances,  this 
fact  naturally  influences  the  selection  of  plays.  Among 
the  most  successful  of  the  Dartmouth  performances  from 
an  artistic  point  of  view  have  been  The  New  Sin,  by 
MacDonald  Hastings,  and  The  Workhouse  Ward,  by 
Lady  Gregory,  who  herself  journeyed  to  the  Laboratory 
Theatre  to  witness  this  production ;  also  Witter  Bynner's 
The  Little  King,  a  play  of  the  French  Revolution;  the 
first  production  on  any  stage  of  The  Man  from  the  Sea, 
by  Charles  Goddard  and  Paul  Dickey;  Leave  of  Absence, 
by  Carl  Freybe;  the  first  production  in  this  country  of 
Gilbert  Canaan's  James  and  John]  Maeterlinck's  The 
Intruder;  Maurice  Baring's  Catherine  Parr;  Blood  Dark 
and  The  Burden  of  Life,  by  two  undergraduate  students. 
Blood  Dark  was  highly  impressionistic,  showing  the 
shadowy  graveyard  of  a  battlefield  with  three  stark 
crosses.  No  actor  appeared  in  the  play:  only  the  voices 
of  the  dead  were  heard.  Conan  Doyle's  Speckled  Band 
was  a  popular  success  by  reason  of  its  melodramatic 
qualities. 

The  Second  Shepherd's  Tale  was  produced  in  an  Eliza- 
bethan manner,  with  the  stage  "  localized  "  to  represent 
different  scenes.  Dunsany's  A  Night  at  An  Inn;  George 
Ade's  Nettie,  and  Sutro's  Man  in  the  Stalls,  are,  it  is 
planned,  to  be  the  next  productions.  There  have  also 
been  a  number  of  semi-private  productions,  inexpensively 
staged,  of  plays  of  Tchekoff,  Lady  Gregory,  and  Synge. 
Programs  of  one-act  plays  have  been  taken  on  the  road 


DARTMOUTH  LABORATORY  THEATRE    197 

and  produced  in  adjacent  cities.  A  matinee  of  one-act 
plays  in  Boston  gained  high  praise  from  the  Boston 
critics,  who  were  quick  to  acclaim  the  vigor  and  sin- 
cerity of  Dartmouth's  laboratory  work. 

Many  of  the  young  men  working  in  this  Laboratory 
Theatre  go  directly  from  it  to  the  professional  stage. 
The  most  conspicuous  example  is  Walter  Wanger,  now 
with  Granville  Barker. 

This  is  the  aesthetic  side  of  Dartmouth  Laboratory 
Theatre;  but  it  must  be  admitted  that  there  is  another 
side  to  it.  In  order  to  run  the  dramatic  association  as 
a  municipal  stock  company  is  run,  "  popular  "  plays  have 
to  be  put  on — "  shows  "  that  will  appeal  to  college  men, 
faculty,  and  townsfolk  alike.  Therefore  the  history  of 
genuinely  creative  work  done  along  the  lines  already 
described  is  blurred  by  a  series  of  musical  shows  like 
Naughty  Nero,  in  which  the  men  take  women's  parts; 
and  by  a  series  of  Broadway  successes  in  which  men 
take  women's  parts  also.  The  idea  back  of  producing 
these  two  types  of  drama  is  that  "  highbrow  stuff  "  will 
not  draw  the  college  men  on  a  steady  average;  nor  will 
it  draw  the  townspeople  of  Hanover  for  any  length  of 
time.  There  is  no  theatre  at  Hanover,  and  the  work  of 
the  Dartmouth  Laboratory  Theatre  is  the  only  drama 
that  the  townspeople  are  likely  to  get  during  the  year. 

Here  is  a  curious  anomaly :  on  the  one  hand  the  Dart-   ' 
mouth  Dramatic  Association  upbuilds  the  very  things  for 
which  the  new  movement  in  the  theatre  stands;  and  on 
the  other  hand  it  tears  them  down.    Here  is  a  magnifi- 
cent opportunity  to  imbue  Dartmouth  men  and  Hanover 


198  LABORATORY  THEATRES 

townsfolk  with  the  love  of  the  finer  things  of  the  the- 
atre, and  it  is  only  half  seized  upon.  Dartmouth  has  a 
wonderful  equipment  in  its  theatre  and  the  free  spirit  in 
which  it  is  managed;  and  perhaps  as  the  years  go  on,  it 
will  relegate  its  "  popular  "  shows  to  commencement  and 
prom  and  carnival  week;  but  make  its  steady  month-to- 
month  work  a  crusade  for  those  things  that  are  worth 
while  in  the  theatre. 

A  whole  series  of  plays  in  which  all  the  characters  are 
men  could  be  readily  given.  The  dramatic  literature  of 
Europe  and  America  has  countless  one-act  plays  in  which 
there  are  no  feminine  protagonists.  A  man's  theatre 
where  plays  were  given  in  which  all  the  characters  were 
men  would  be  an  interesting  experiment.  There  is  a 
strong  feeling  of  the  ludicrous  ever  uppermost  where 
men  take  women's  parts  in  modern  plays;  yet,  should 
all-men  casts  prove  monotonous,  there  are  always  the 
farcical  rough-and-tumble  pre-Elizabethan  plays  where 
men  can  take  women's  parts  with  genuine  artistic  suc- 
cess as  they  did  in  The  Second  Shepherd's  Tale  and  as 
they  have  done  in  Pierre  Patelin,  etc. 

What  if  the  so-called  "  highbrow "  plays  do  not 
"  take "  at  first !  In  any  modern  theatre  movement 
progress  is  always  slow.  And  if  the  colleges  do  not 
uphold  the  literature  of  the  theatre,  then  all  one  can 
say  is:  it  is  high  time  that  they  did!  Dartmouth  has 
already  done  so  much  that  one  cannot  but  hope  she  will 
do  more, 


THE  LABORATORY  THEATRE  OF  THE  CARNEGIE 
INSTITUTE  AT  PITTSBURGH 

THE  Laboratory  Theatre  of  Carnegie  Institute  of 
Technology  in  Pittsburgh  was  established  in  1914.  It  is 
housed  in  the  School  of  Design.  Its  director  is  Thomas 
Wood  Stevens,  author  and  artist,  whose  historical  pag- 
eants and  plays  are  favorably  known  to  the  American 
public. 

Work  in  this  Laboratory  Theatre  covers  a  four-years* 
course,  including  acting,  costume  designing,  scenic  de- 
signing, playwrighting,  history  of  the  theatre,  stage  man- 
agement, and  last  but  not  least,  business  routine  of  the 
theatre. 

Carnegie  Institute  is,  so  far  as  is  known,  the  first  in 
the  field  to  give  a  degree  of  Bachelor  of  Arts  in  the 
Drama.  Its  graduate  students  are  acting  in  professional 
theatres  and  producing  masques  and  pageants  through- 
out the  country. 

Acting  is  the  major  concern  of  this  Laboratory  The- 
atre. To  it,  all  the  other  arts  of  the  theatre  are  secondary; 
yet  they  are  studied  in  order  to  give  %the  student  a  well- 
rounded  idea  of  the  difficult  profession  which  he  is 
entering.  "  The  intention  is  to  produce  a  full  knowledge 
rather  than  a  specialized  practice." 

The  Carnegie  Laboratory  Theatre  seats  420  persons. 
It  has  a  steel  curtain  which  is  ornamented  by  a  some- 

199 


200  LABORATORY  THEATRES 

what  overcrowded  painting  of  ancient  Rome,  which  de- 
tracts considerably  from  the  noble  simplicity  of  the  the- 
atre. The  walls  are  paneled,  from  floor  to  ceiling,  in 
straight  white  oak.  There  is  a  white  and  amber  sky- 
light. Six  mural  paintings  flank  the  stage,  three  on 
each  side.  Above  the  stage  is  the  inscription :  "  Ici 
Inspiration  deploye  ses  ailes."  (See  illustration  facing 
page  218.) 

The  stage,  instead  of  being  separated  from  the  audi- 
ence, is  reached  by  a  flight  of  steps.  It  is  fully  equipped 
with  a  loft  and  grid,  a  trapped  floor,  and  a  modern  in- 
stallation of  lights. 

In  connection  with  the  stage  there  are  dressing  rooms 
and  a  spacious  costume  room  with  a  collection  of  cos- 
tumes. Some  of  these  are  in  wardrobes ;  others  hang  in 
serried  ranks  against  the  wall.  There  are  mirrors,  sew- 
ing machines,  cutting  tables,  forms  on  which  to  place  cos- 
tumes— everything  that  ingenuity  can  devise  to  further 
the  work  of  getting  costumes  into  shape. 

The  scene-painting  studio  has  all  the  facilities  for 
active  scenic  work,  including  paint  frames,  canvas,  and 
lights  for  experimental  lighting.  The  student  begins  by 
doing  very  simple  work  in  the  studio,  and  ends  by  taking 
up  the  problems  of  illusion  scenery  and  stage  decoration. 
Models  for  scenes  are  made :  the  problems  of  scale  and 
perspective  are  dealt  with.  Talks  on  electricity  and  light- 
ing are  supplemented  by  actual  laboratory  work  in  the 
theatre.  Twenty  sets  of  scenery  are  already  in  use  that 
have  been  painted  by  the  students  in  the  scenic  studio. 

To  outline  the  policy  of  the  theatre  one  cannot  do 


u 


THEATRE  OF  THE  CARNEGIE  INSTITUTE    201 

better  than  quote  from  its  prospectus :  "  Acting  must  be 
a  major  subject  with  all  students  of  the  department, 
though  in  the  fourth  year  of  the  course  other  thesis  work 
may  be  elected.  During  the  first  year  simple  parts  and 
one-act  plays  will  be  studied;  during  the  second  year 
the  acting  of  certain  classical  plays;  during  the  third 
year  modern  dramas.  A  certain  number  of  plays  will 
be  given  public  performances  each  year. 

"  The  credits  in  direct  technical  work  are  given  on  the 
Beaux  Arts  method  of  mentions  for  accomplishment,  not 
on  the  number  of  hours  spent  in  rehearsal.  The  work 
in  the  fourth  year  allows  the  student  to  specialize  in 
acting,  in  stage  decoration  and  scene  design,  in  dramatic 
literature,  composition  or  criticism,  in  costume,  or  in  the 
general  work  of  production;  but  these  optional  courses 
must  be  founded  on  excellence  in  the  previous  study. 

"  A  limited  number  of  applicants  are  admitted  each 
year  to  partial  courses,  without  certificates  or  examina- 
tions, upon  the  recommendation  of  the  dean  or  the  head 
of  the  department.  These  students  take  short  programs 
of  studies,  and  are  not  candidates  for  the  degree. 

"  Night  classes  are  offered  in  rehearsal  and  acting  only 
to  a  limited  number  of  students.  The  schedule  calls  for 
two  evenings  a  week,  three  hours  each  evening." 

One  matinee  a  week  is  given  by  the  students,  and  sev- 
eral important  productions  take  place  during  the  year. 
Many  of  these  are  revivals  of  classical  plays.  One-act 
plays  by  modern  authors  and  long  plays  by  modern 
authors  are  given  in  equal  number.  Every  production 
has  about  four  performances.  No  seats  are  for  sale. 


202  LABORATORY  THEATRES 

In  order  that  the  students  may  become  acquainted  witK 
as  many  widely  different  methods  of  producing  as  pos- 
sible, guest  directors  produce  at  the  Laboratory  Theatre 
each  year.  Among  these  have  been  Donald  Robertson, 
well  known  as  actor  and  producer.  Padraic  Colum,  the 
Irish  dramatist,  has  staged  the  Irish  plays  given  by  the 
students.  Mrs.  E.  P.  Sherry,  the  director  of  the  Wis- 
consin Players,  put  on  Zona  Gale's  The  Neighbors  as 
part  of  the  Laboratory  Theatre  work.  Another  guest 
artist  was  William  Poel,  founder  and  director  of  the 
Elizabethan  Stage  Society  of  London,  England.  B.  Iden 
Payne,  who  has  a  number  of  fine  productions  in  New 
York  to  his  credit,  is  permanently  associated  with  the 
Laboratory  Theatre  as  associate  professor  of  dramatic 
art.  Before  coming  to  this  country  Mr.  Payne  was  gen- 
eral manager  of  the  National  Theatre,  Dublin,  and  had 
organized  repertory  seasons  in  Sheffield,  Leeds,  Glas- 
gow, and  Edinburgh. 

The  most  effective  of  the  Laboratory  Theatre's  pro- 
ductions Mr.  Stevens  considers  have  been  Donald 
Robertson's  production  of  Tartuffe;  William  Peel's 
production  of  Poetaster,  and  B.  Iden  Payne's  produc- 
tion of  Winter's  Tale. 

The  scenery  for  Two  Gentlemen  of  Verona  was  espe- 
cially noteworthy  in  the  way  it  gave  richness  and  beauty 
of  effect  through  unelaborate  means,  the  uncluttered  stage 
lending  a  sense  of  spaciousness.  Two  pieces  of  tapestry, 
an  offertory  table,  and  three  high-backed  chairs  were  all 
that  were  needed  to  give  an  indoor  scene  a  feeling  of 
dignity  and  opulence.  The  church  scene  in  Much  Ado 


THEATRE  OF  THE  CARNEGIE  INSTITUTE    203 

About  Nothing  was  also  singularly  effective,  with  its 
austere  white  altar,  its  great  stained-glass  window  at 
back,  and  its  costumes  showing  brilliantly  against  the 
darkness  of  the  church  walls. 

Besides  the  regular  work  of  the  students,  compli- 
mentary performances  have  been  given  for  Miss  Maude 
Adams,  Miss  Margaret  Anglin,  and  Mr.  E.  H.  Sothern's 
company,  also  one  for  Mr.  Richard  Burton,  former  presi- 
dent of  the  Drama  League  of  America. 

The  acting  at  the  Laboratory  Theatre  is  far  and  away 
above  the  average.  Charles  M.  Bregg,  dramatic  critic 
of  the  Pittsburgh  Gazette  Times,  has  this  to  say :  "  Last 
Saturday  night  .  .  .  the  writer  saw  a  performance  of 
Shaw's  clever  satire,  You  Never  Can  Tell,  that  compared 
in  acting  and  stage  essentials  favorably  with  any  profes- 
sional productions  ever  made  in  America.  If  this  were 
a  critical  review  I  might  point  out  the  various  collec- 
tive and  individual  evidences  of  the  truth  of  this  asser- 
tion. It  was  astonishing  to  see  and  hear  these  young 
players  grasp  the  '  inside '  of  Shaw's  somewhat  attenu- 
ated satire,  and  display  its  meaning." 

Some  of  the  plays  produced  by  the  Carnegie  Labora- 
tory Theatre  have  been: 

Two  Gentlemen  of  Verona,  by  Shakespeare ;  The  Shadow 
of  the  Glen,  by  John  Synge ;  Dancing  Dolls,  by  K.  S.  Good- 
man ;  The  Land  of  Hearts  Desire,  by  W.  B.  Yeats ;  The 
Betrayal,  by  Padraic  Colum;  The  King's  Threshold,  by 
W.  B.  Yeats;  The  Violin  Maker  of  Cremona,  by  Frangois 
Coppee;  Iphigenia  in  Tauris,  by  Euripides;  The  Tents  of 
the  Arabs,  by  Dunsany;  Much  Ado  About  Nothing,  by 


204  LABORATORY  THEATRES 

Shakespeare;  The  Chaplet  of  Pan,  by  Rice  and  Stevens; 
You  Never  Can  Tell,  by  Bernard  Shaw ;  As  You  Like  It, 
by  Shakespeare ;  Glory  of  the  Morning,  by  W.  E.  Leonard ; 
The  Neighbors,  by  Zona  Gale;  Tartuffe,  by  Moliere;  A 
Winter's  Tale,  by  Shakespeare;  The  Importance  of  Being 
Earnest,  by  Oscar  Wilde ;  Paolo  and  Francesca,  by  Stephen 
Phillips,  and  The  Cloak  of  Dionysus,  a  Greek  Masque,  by 
Howard  F.  Smith  and  Theodore  A.  Viehman.  For  this 
masque  all  the  audience  came  in  Greek  costume  and  joined 
in  the  final  march  through  the  temple. 


THE  THEATRE  WORKSHOP 

Miss  GRACE  GRISWOLD'S  Theatre  Workshop  in  New 
York  City  is  a  laboratory  for  professional  theatre  work- 
ers rather  than  for  student  workers. 

The  Theatre  Workshop,  with  an  office  in  the  Knicker- 
bocker Theatre  building,  does  not  yet  possess  a  local 
habitation,  but  its  group  of  players  are  working  for  that 
desired  end.  And  something  more.  Its  policy  as  out- 
lined by  its  executive  secretary  and  moving  spirit,  Miss 
Grace  Griswold,  is  to  "gather  together,  here  in  New 
York,  which  is  the  home  of  the  profession,  the  traditions 
of  the  theatre  from  its  distinguished  exponents  and  pass 
them  on  to  the  younger  generation  now  deprived  of  these 
benefits,  by  the  absence  of  the  first-class  stock  companies, 
such  as  Daly's,  The  Lyceum,  and  The  Empire,  which  are 
no  longer  profitable  or  possible  under  present  conditions." 

The  Theatre  Workshop  was  organized  late  in  the 
Autumn  of  1916  for  the  purpose  of  centralizing  the  vari- 
ous creative  interests  of  the  theatre  for  their  mutual 
inspiration  and  for  the  non-commercial  enlargement  of 
their  opportunities  as  follows :  "  It  will  give  the  actor 
opportunities  for  practice,  try-out,  and  performance  in 
parts  adapted  to  his  talents.  It  will  give  the  producer 
a  chance  to  experiment  in  the  new  methods  of  staging; 
will  let  the  playwright  see  his  plays  tried  out  with  com- 

205 


206  LABORATORY  THEATRES 

patent  casts,  and  will  give  scenic  and  costume  designers 
a  place  to  exhibit  their  work.  A  manager  will  be  able 
to  select  his  material  in  all  departments  with  a  minimum 
risk  of  disappointment  and  it  is  hoped  that  the  public 
will  gain  through  the  extension  of  the  Theatre  Work- 
shop a  more  sympathetic  understanding  of  the  art  of  the 
theatre  from  the  professional  point  of  view/' 

The  Workshop  already  has  a  group  of  fifty  players  on 
its  list,  most  of  them  engaged  with  the  Workshop  activi- 
ties, some  of  them  now  playing  in  Broadway  casts.  The 
production  department  has  the  following  active  members : 
Grace  Griswold,  Edith  Wynne  Matthison,  Mary  Shaw, 
Olive  Oliver,  and  Harry  Neville.  Others  promising 
co-operation  are:  Otis  Skinner,  Julia  Arthur,  B.  Iden 
Payne,  Edward  Eltsner,  W.  H.  Gilmore,  and  Minna 
Gale  Haynes. 

The  Theatre  Workshop  even  now,  before  it  has  a  per- 
manent experimental  plant  of  its  own,  strives  to  be  a 
clearing  house  for  the  best  in  drama.  It  will  send  out 
its  group  of  players  and  scenic  and  costume  artists  to 
co-operate  with  Little  Theatres,  with  civic  masques  and 
pageants,  with  colleges,  and  even  with  schools — such  as 
the  Finch  School,  which  has  its  own  Little  Theatre,  the 
Lenox  Theatre,  on  Fifty-eighth  Street. 

The  Workshop  Players  already  have  a  repertoire 
which  includes  The  Twelve-Pound  Look,  by  Barrie; 
In  a  Balcony,  by  Browning;  The  Tents  of  the  Arabs, 
by  Dunsany;  The  Bracelet,  The  Open  Door,  and  A  Mar- 
riage  Has  Been  Arranged,  by  Alfred  Sutro;  The  Gaol 
Gate,  by  Lady  Gregory;  The  Pot  Boiler,  by  Alice  Ger- 


THE  THEATRE  WORKSHOP  207 

stenberg;   The  Haunted  Chamber,  by  Felix  O'Toole; 
The  Shadow  in  the  Glen,  by  Synge. 

A  two  dollar  membership  entitles  its  owner  to  per- 
sonal notification  of  Workshop  performances,  free  and 
otherwise,  and  to  two  seats  at  one  subscription  per- 
formance. 


CHAPTER  X 

LITTLE  COUNTRY  THEATRES 

ONE  of  the  finest  things  about  the  present  Little  The- 
atre movement  in  this  country  is  its  democracy.  A  Little 
Theatre's  insignificant  cost  of  maintenance  makes  it  a 
possibility  for  the  city,  for  the  suburb,  and  most  of  all, 
for  the  country. 

As  a  rule  there  are  no  theatres  in  America's  rural  dis- 
tricts save  picture  theatres.  As  some  one  has  wittily  re- 
marked :  "  They  have  the  movies,  but  not  the  speakies." 
Screen  drama  is  in  their  midst,  but  drama  acted  by  actual 
people  is  not.  That  moving  concomitant,  the  speaking 
voice,  is  absent — unless  perhaps  a  third-rate  barnstorm- 
ing company  appears  in  the  local  town  hall  or  "opry 
house."  Or  there  may  be  "  theatricals  "  by  the  people 
of  the  village  or  the  grange.  That  was  as  far  as  drama 
went  in  country  places. 

But  the  Little  Theatre  movement  spread  to  the  coun- 
try, and  a  change  as  strange  as  that  wrought  by  Aladdin's 
lamp  suddenly  took  place.  There  is  something  of  magic 
about  the  word  theatre.  Calling  a  place  a  theatre  instantly 
establishes  a  standard  of  production,  of  plays,  of  general 
atmosphere.  The  maundering  or  trivial  plays  that  do 
well  enough  for  "  private  theatricals  "  in  the  town  hall 
cannot  draw  the  breath  of  life  in  a  theatre.  Their  faults 

209 


2io         •  LITTLE  COUNTRY  THEATRES 

stand  out  too  glaringly ;  they  suddenly  become  cheap  and 
absurd. 

Alfred  Arvold,  who  established  the  first  Little  Coun- 
'try  Theatre,  did  so  because  he  declared  that  the  coun- 
try "  needed  life,  intellectual  life,  so  much  more  than  the 
city." 

Says  Mr.  Arvold :  "  In  desolate  rural  districts  of  the 
West  where  there  is  only  one  Eastern  passenger  train  a 
day,  the  whole  town  turns  out  to  watch  that  train  come 
in.  Why?  Because  to  country  people  it  represents  a 
larger  life.  They  do  not  know  it;  but  the  hunger  that 
impels  them  to  the  station  is  a  hunger  for  adventure,  for 
romance,  for  something  different.  Give  these  same  peo- 
ple a  Little  Theatre  to  attend,  to-  work  for,  to  plan  for, 
and  mark  the  difference.  The  spell  will  be  laid  alike  on 
players  and  audience,  since  both  players  and  audience  will 
be  drawn  from  the  community.  Their  hidden  love  of  the 
strange,  the  romantic,  the  colorful,  will  be  focused  and 
satisfied." 

The  city  has  snobbishly  believed  that  the  country  can- 
not appreciate  the  finer  things  of  drama,  and  there  the 
city  is  absolutely  wrong.  A  farmer  at  Mr.  Arvold's 
Little  Country  Theatre  in  North  Dakota  upon  witnessing 
a  play  by  Bjornstjerne  Bjornson  remarked  succinctly : 
"  This  show  has  got  the  movies  skun  a  mile !  " 


THE  LITTLE  COUNTRY  THEATRE  OF 
FARGO,  N.  D. 

LITTLE  Country  Theatres  are  always  of  the  community 
type.  Audience,  players,  stage  hands,  directors,  artists, 
and  playwrights  are  drawn  from  the  people  themselves. 
The  workers  in  the  Little  Country  Theatre  of  Fargo, 
N.  D.,  are  the  Washington  Square  Players  of  the  plains. 
This  was  the  first  Little  Country  Theatre  ever  established 
in  the  United  States. 

Mr.  Alfred  Arvold,  of  the  University  of  North  Dakota, 
saw  the  possibilities  that  lay  dormant  in  an  abandoned 
chapel  that  stood  on  the  university  grounds.  He  re- 
modeled this  chapel  into  a  small  theatre;  had  several 
simple  scenes  made,  and  drawing  together  the  artistically 
inclined  of  the  community,  began  to  produce  plays.  His 
theatre  met  with  a  success  so  astonishing  that  it  is  now 
backed  by  the  United  States  Government.  The  latter 
sees  in  the  Little  Country  Theatre  a  new  power  for 
country  life. 

A  dramatic  lending  library  is  run  in  connection  with 
MrAAlvord's  theatre,  so  that  the  whole  state  of  North 
Dakota  may  know  the  joy  of  reading  as  well  as  seeing 
plays.  Some  of  the  plays  that  have  been  produced  at 
this  Little  Theatre  are :  The  Newly  Wedded  Couple  and 
Leonore,  by  Bjornson;  A  Pot  of  Broth,  by  Yeats;  The 
Traveling  Man  and  The  Workhouse  Ward,  by  Ladjj 

211 


212  LITTLE  COUNTRY  THEATRES 

Gregory;  Sam  Average,  by  Percy  Mackaye;  'Op-o'-Me- 
Thumb,  by  Pryce  and  Fenn;  Miss  Civilization,  by  Rich- 
ard Harding  Davis;  A  'Scrap  of  Paper,  by  Sardou;  An 
Enemy  of  the  People,  by  Ibsen;  an  Icelandic  Folk  Play, 
put  together  by  the  people  of  the  community  from  old 
legends  of  Iceland.  Many  of  the  farmers  come  from 
that  country,  and  for  that  reason  this  play  held  special 
significance.  Besides  these  there  were  plays  by  local 
playwrights,  dealing  with  country  problems.  "  Country 
Problems  Plays  "  they  might  almost  be  called.  These 
were  The  Prairie  Wolf,  by  J.  W.  Lange;  Bridging  the 
Chasm,  by  Charles  Carlson,  and  A  Bee  in  a  Drone's 
Hive,  by  Cecil  Parker. 

In  this  theatre  there  are  no  boxes  or  balconies.  The 
seating  capacity  is  200.  The  color  scheme  is  green  and 
gold.  The  walls  and  ceiling  are  beamed  in  golden  oak. 
The  curtain  is  forest-green  velour.  The  eight  windows 
of  the  theatre  are  curtained  in  the  same  color.  The  seats, 
broad  and  comfortable,  are  of  stained  birch.  Indirect 
lighting  is  used  for  the  stage  and  auditorium. 


Above,  scene  from  Theodore  Dreiser's  Laughing  'Gas,  as  produced  at 
THE  LITTLE  THEATRE  OF  INDIANAPOLIS,  IND.     (See  Page  162.) 

Below,  scene  from  The  Prairie  Wolf,  by  John  B.  Lang,  as  produced 
at  THE  LITTLE  COUNTRY  THEATRE,  FARGO,    \T.  D. 


OTHER  LITTLE  COUNTRY  THEATRES 

THE  success  of  Fargo's  theatre  led  the  people  of  KEN- 
SAL,  N.  D.,  to  wish  for  a  Little  Theatre.  Through  the 
public-spiritedness  of  the  community  this  wish  was  grati- 
fied. The  farmers  raised  $2,500  and  built  a  theatre 
modeled  after  Mr.  Arvold's.  Their  repertoire  is  prac- 
tically the  same  as  the  Little  Theatre  at  Fargo. 

Another  Little  Country  Theatre  has  been  established 
in  McKiNLEY  COUNTY,  N.  D.,  by  using  (and  redecorat- 
ing) some  unused  rooms  above  the  country  grocery  store. 
Partitions  were  taken  down ;  a  stage  built ;  and  seats  for 
170  people  installed. 

THE  OHIO  AGRICULTURAL  COLLEGE  is  working  toward 
a  Little  Country  Theatre  and  has  already  done  laboratory 
work  in  this  connection  by  producing  plays  during 
"  Farmers'  Week,"  and  while  farmers'  conventions  are 
in  progress.  Between  Two  Lives,  a  modern  farm  moral- 
ity play,  by  Charles  Burkett,  was  their  first  offering.  This 
play  contains  a  plea  for  new  farming  methods,  and  shows 
the  country  boy  that  with  these  methods  his  chance  of 
succeeding  in  the  country  is  just  twice  as  great  as  if  he 
went  to  the  city. 


213 


THE  LITTLE  PLAINFIELD  (N.  H.)    THEATRE 

POSSIBLY  the  most  beautiful  Little  Country  Theatre 
in  America  is  the  Little  Plainfield  Theatre,  at  Plain- 
field,  N.  H.  It  was  remade  from  the  Plainfield 
town  hall,  a  building  of  sturdy  colonial  type.  (See  illus- 
tration, page  246. )  It  has  neither  balcony  nor  boxes,  but 
its  seating  capacity  is  250.  Its  color  scheme  is  green 
and  white ;  its  proscenium  arch  is  flanked  by  gray-green 
lattices  that  lend  a  rustic  note.  The  curtain  is  ruby 
velour. 

The  Little  Plainfield  Theatre  is  equipped  with  lighting 
facilities  and  scenery  that  many  a  city  theatre  might 
envy.  The  interior  scenes  have  been  painted  by  Mr. 
Howard  Hart,  who  originated  the  idea  of  this  theatre, 
worked  out  its  possibilities,  and  then  turned  it  over  to 
the  Plainfield  community.  Its  woodland  scene  has  been 
painted  by  Mr.  Maxfield  Parrish. 

The  repertoire  of  this  theatre  is  not  a  lengthy  one  since 
the  theatre  itself  has  been  recently  established.  Its  first 
production,  The  Woodland  Princess,  by  Mrs.  Max  Per- 
kins, marked  an  innovation  in  Little  Theatres  in  that 
it  was  for  children,  acted  by  children.  The  next  pro- 
duction was  a  three-act  charade,  written  by  the  people 
of  the  community  around  the  name  of  the  theatre's  donor, 
Howard  Hart.  After  this  came  a  brief  farce  from  the 
German;  and  now  a  series  of  Yeats-Gregory  plays  are 
under  consideration  for  production, 

314 


THE  QUILLCOTE  THEATRE  OF  HOLLIS,  MAINE 

The  Quillcote  Theatre,  at  Hollis,  Me.,  is  a  Little 
Country  Theatre  remodeled  from  a  barn,  where  poetic 
one-act  plays  are  given.  This  theatre  is  owned  by  Kate 
Douglas  Wiggin,  and  it  is  the  center  of  interest  for  all 
the  farms  that  lie  near  it,  or  within  a  radius  of  twenty 
miles.  A  great  gold  quill  pen  is  the  weathercock  on  this 
barn  theatre,  denoting  its  name,  Quillcote. 

The  theatre  auditorium  is  formed  by  moving  seats  into 
place  on  the  hardwood  floor,  facing  the  little  stage  that 
is  at  the  further  end.  This  "  auditorium  "  seats  100. 
The  walls  of  this  theatre  are  neutral  wood  that  age  has 
stained  a  soft  brown.  The  great  beams  of  the  ceiling  are 
hand  hewn.  From  them  hang  bright-colored  lanterns. 
From  the  barn  doorways  stretches  a  mellow  vista  of  fields 
and  winding  road.  Latticed  windows  are  set  in  the  wall, 
adding  an  air  of  quaintness.  Here  the  people  of  the 
community  may  rehearse  The  Old  Peabody  Pew,  or  the 
poetic  plays  of  Austin  Dobson,  or  other  eighteenth  cen- 
tury vignettes,  since  this  theatre  is  devoted  to  the  costume 
play. 

The  potentialities  of  little  rural  theatres  are  so  great 
that  it  would  take  a  prophet  of  no  mean  order  to  tell  all 
that  they  may  accomplish  in  the  near  future. 


215 


CHAPTER  XI 

COST  OF  MAINTAINING  A  LITTLE 
THEATRE 

THE  reader  of  this  book  will  have  gathered  from  the 
material  in  the  foregoing  chapters  that  each  Little  The- 
atre worked  out  its  expense  account  differently,  its  bud- 
get being  modified  by  the  price  of  seats,  the  number  of 
seats,  and  the  number  of  performances  per  week  or  per 
month,  as  well  as  the  policy  of  the  particular  theatre,  and 
whether  or  not  it  is  addicted  to  the  subscription  system. 
All  these  things  have  a  bearing  on  the  budget. 

Prices  vary  so  in  different  parts  of  the  country,  and 
each  Little  Theatre  has  such  individual  problems  to  meet, 
that  any  scale  suggested  for  their  maintenance  must  of 
necessity  be  approximate.  Rent  is  not  the  same  in  Gales- 
burg,  111.,  and  in  New  York  City;  in  Bridgeport  and 
Baltimore.  And  jjent  is  one  of  the  chief  problems  con-  J/ 
nected  with  the  Little  Theatre.  Then,  too,  a  Little  The-  yx 
atre's  policy  has  an  immense  deal  to  do  with  its  upkeep. 
If  the  players  are  professional,  or  semi-professional,  and 
have  weekly  salaries,  a  totally  different  budget  must  be 
arranged  foiTThem  from  what  is  arranged  for  a  Little 
Theatre  where  the  players  are  amateurs  without  salaries. 
Then,  -whether  or  not  there  i$  a  professional  director  jvho 

217 


218  COST  OF  A  LITTLE  THEATRE 

is  paid  a  salary  is  another  great  consideration.  If  the 
theatre  building  is  used  all  the  time  by  the  company 
playing  and  rehearsing  in  it,  it  naturally  has  a  bearing 
on  the  general  expense.  If  the  theatre  is  such  that  it 
can  be  let  for  concerts  and  lectures  it  will  help  materially 
with  the  rent.  The  seating  capacity  also  is  a  considera- 
tion, for  it  regulates  the  theatre  tax.  Every  state  in  the 
Union  has  different  laws  regarding  theatre  taxation. 
Theatres  are  taxed  according  to  seating  capacity,  and  as 
to  whether  or  not  tickets  are  sold  at  the  door.  A  Little 
Theatre  tax  may  run  from  $300  to  $500  per  year  accord- 
ing to  the  state  of  the  Union  in  which  the  theatre  is 
situated.  Then,  too,  a  theatre  fireman  has  to  be  retained 
on  salary  if  the  seating  capacity  runs  above  a  certain 
point. 

Many  Little  Theatres  in  cities  avoid  paying  the  the- 
atre tax  and  the  fireman's  salary  by  doing  away  with  the 
box  office  and  depending  entirely  on  subscription.  This 
puts  the  theatre  on  a  club  basis.  All  these  things 
have  to  be  taken  into  account  in  an  estimate  of  theatre 
cost. 

Little  Theatres  are  averse  to  giving  out  an  itemized 
list  of  their  running  expenses.  The  reason  for  this  be- 
comes apparent  when  one  considers  that  the  salaries  of 
players  and  director  will  be  made  public,  and  they  are 
sure  to  be  moderate.  Very  often  an  extremely  efficient 
director  will  be  willing  to  take  a  small  salary — a  mere 
living  wage — for  the  pleasure  of  working  out  his  ideas 
under  Little  Theatre  conditions.  But  he  does  not  care 
to  have  this  wage  made  public.  Artists  may  design  seen- 


bfl 

£ 


< 

u 


COST  OF  A  LITTLE  THEATRE  219 

ery  and  costumes,  actuated  by  a  love  for  the  thing  done, 
taking  in  return  a  mere  pittance.  But  it  might  jeopardize 
their  prices  for  other  work  were  the  exact  amount  of  this 
pittance  known. 

The  Washington  Square  Players  have  the  usual  the- 
atre expenses  save  in  salaries,  and  scenic  and  costume 
effects.  It  is  with  these  that  they  make  their  point  of 
cleavage.  Their  players  are  willing  to  take  small  salaries 
for  the  sake  of  what  they  are  trying  to  do.  By  design- 
ing their  own  costumes  and  scenery  the  Washington 
Square  Players  cut  out  the  middleman ;  and  are  on  occa- 
sion able  to  reuse  their  material. 

To  give  "  gleanings  "  from  the  expense  accounts  of 
other  Little  Theatres:  it  is  an  open  fact  that  Maurice 
Browne  of  Chicago  pays  salaries  that  range  from  $TO 
to  $16.50  weekly,  none  higher. 

For  Little  Theatres  that  pay  no  salaries  to  their  play- 
ers $2,000  a  season  seems  to  be  the  usual  sum  for  main- 
tenance, if  strict  economy  is  practised.  This  sum,  if 
the  theatre  is  properly  managed,  is  put  back  into  the 
theatre  fund  and  whatever  is  made  over  and  above 
this  is  paid  out  for  any  extra  expenses  the  theatre  may 
incur. 

The  Provincetown  Players  avoid  the  theatre  tax  by  " 
doing  away  with  the  box  office  and  organizing  as  a  club 
is  organized.  They,  too,  design  their  own  costumes  and 
scenery.  No  set  costs  more  than  $13.50.  And  many  of 
them  very  much  less  than  that.  They  use  three  sets  each 
evening.  Now  and  again  a  set  is  repainted  and  does 
duty  twice  over.  The  Players  have  rented  the  ground 


220  COST  OF  A  LITTLE  THEATRE 

floor  of  a  house  for  an  inconspicuous  sum.  This  has  three 
large  rooms,  two  for  the  stage  and  auditorium,  and  one 
partitioned  off  into  dressing  rooms.  With  forty  cents 
for  seats,  a  seating  capacity  of  100,  and  seven  perform- 
ances a  month  they  will  not  be  able  to  make  money  the 
first  year;  but  they  will  be  able  to  pay  for  their  theatre 
equipment,  and  to  carry  the  rent  of  their  theatre  over  the 
Summer  months,  when  the  theatre  stands  idle.  Next 
year  they  can  begin  to  have  a  theatre  bank  account.  Of 
course  they  pay  no  salaries  to  their  members,  which  means 
an  immense  reduction  of  expense. 

The  Workshop  Theatre  of  Chicago  has  been  able  to 
equip  its  tiny  playhouse,  pay  for  rent,  light,  scenery, 
costumes,  and  printing,  for  $2,000  a  year — not  a  season, 
a  full  year.  Other  Little  Theatres  are  run  for  $2,000  a 
season;  but  the  Chicago  Workshop  Theatre  achieved  the 
distinction  of  running  a  whole  year  for  $2,000;  produc- 
ing thirty  one-act  plays. 

The  Prairie  Players  of  Galesburg,  111.,  renovated  a 
building,  installed  seats,  a  stage,  a  box  office,  and  light- 
ing system;  paid  for  their  scenery,  lighting,  printing, 
cleaning,  and  heating  on  a  capital  of  $1,050  for  one  sea- 
son's expenditure.  But  then,  rents  and  living  are  lower 
by  two-thirds  in  Galesburg  than  in  Chicago  or  New  York. 
Even  so,  this  was  a  remarkable  financial  achievement  only 
made  possible  because  the  whole  town  worked  for  the 
theatre,  cheerfully  lending  everything  the  theatre  wanted 
to  borrow.  It  was  also  possible  because  not  one  piece 
of  canvas  or  one  single  costume  was  allowed  to  go  to 
waste.  Everything  was  painted  and  repainted,  and  dyed 


COST  OF  A  LITTLE  THEATRE  221 

and  redyed  in  order  to  achieve  this  result.     The  most 
rigid  economy  was  exercised. 

The  wonder  of  running  a  Little  Theatre  for  $2,000 
is  apparent  when  one  considers  that  this  $2,000  budget 
can  be  stretched  to  cover  rent,  costumes,  scenery,  lighting, 
printing,  stage  carpentry  work,  and  cleaning.  It  is  inter- 
esting to  note  that  this  is  the  exact  sum  yearly  on  which 
J.  T.  Grein  ran  his  Independent  Theatre  in  London, 
England,  the  theatre  which  first  introduced  Ibsen's 
Ghosts  to  the  English-speaking  world.  Three  thousand 
dollars  a  season  is  of  course  a  more  liberal  budget,  and 
means  less  pinching  and  scraping,  less  wear  and  tear  on 
the  artists'  nerves. 

To  reduce  the  theatre  budget  to  $2,000  a  season,  some 
one  in  the  Little  Theatre  group  -must  have  a  knowledge 
of  pigments ;  of  how  to  build  scenery  from  compo  board 
as  well  as  canvas;  of  how  to  use  the  draped  stage,  or, 
as  it  is  technically  called,  the  stage  hung  with  curtains. 
Either  the  director  or  the  theatre  artist  must  also  know 
how  to  use  and  reuse  certain  scenic  effects  in  combina- 
tions that  will  not  be  detected  by  the  audience. 

A  knowledge  of  the  use  of  inexpensive  materials  is 
also  necessary,  if  the  theatre  is  to  be  managed  for  this 
sum,  for  the  inexpensiveness  of  the  costumes  depends 
upon  how  great  or  how  beautiful  an  effect  can  be  secured 
through  sateen,  cotton  poplin,  mercerized  cotton,  cheese- 
cloth, and  crepon.  Here  is  where  a  knowledge  of  dyes 
is  also  invaluable.  And  last,  but  not  least,  if  expense  is 
to  be  kept  down,  there  must  be  some  one  experienced  in  <nr 
painting  scenes  with  lights.  This,  if  certain  scenes  have 


222  COST  OF  A  LITTLE  THEATRE 

to  be  used  again,  will  greatly  lessen  their  monotony  for 
the  audience.  An  outdoor  scene  painted  with  amber 
light  can  be  made  to  appear  quite  differently  when  given 
a  moonlit  effect  with  blue  and  white  lights.  Such  knowl- 
edge forms  the  stock-in-economy  of  every  Little  Theatre 
in  this  country. 


CHAPTER  XII 

A  WORD  ON  REPERTORY  THEATRES  IN 
GENERAL 

THE  history  of  the  theatre  is  a  history  of  contradic- 
tions, a  series  of  paradoxes.  Every  phrase  that  one  writes 
about  it  has  to  be  qualified.  For  instance,  one  may  de- 
clare that  popular  approval  does  not  necessarily  mean 
that  a  play  is  great.  Mazeppa  was  tinsel  claptrap,  and 
drew  its  tens  of  thousands.  Yet  Hamlet  has  drawn  its 
tens  of  thousands,  and  who  will  deny  that  it  is  a  great 
play?  (save  only  George  Bernard  Shaw!)  Therefore 
a  play  may  be  claptrap  and  popular,  and  it  also  may  be 
great  and  popular.  A  modern  critic  has  gone  so  far  as 
to  declare  that  a  play  which  draws  only  a  limited  audi- 
ence cannot  be  a  great  play  since  it  has  no  wide  appeal. 
Yet  Maeterlinck's  Sister  Beatrice  is  a  great  play  though  it 
could  not  draw  crowded  houses. 

As  another  example  of  contradiction  the  evils  of  the 
star  system  are  apparent  to  any  serious  student  of  the- 
atre conditions.  But  grant  that  the  star  system  does  foster 
the  long  run;  grant  that  the  long  run  stultifies  the  actor 
by  keeping  him  month  after  month  or  even  year  after 
year  in  the  same  parts  after  they  have  grown  stale; 
grant  that  the  players  are  made  to  revolve  around  the 
star,;  that  all  the  good  speeches  are  put  into  the  mouth 

223 


224     REPERTORY  THEATRES  IN  GENERAL 

of  the  star;  grant  all  this,  and  with  it  the  obnoxiousness 
of  the  star  system,  and  then  ask  whether  or  not  the  world 
had  been  richer  for  the  work  of  such  stars  as  Irving, 
Terry,  Mansfield,  and  Marlowe?  Certainly  no  theatre- 
goer would  be  willing  to  forego  his  memories  of  the  work 
of  these  histrions,  yet  they  represented  the  star  system. 

Or  did  they? 

No  rules  can  be  laid  down  for  genius.  These  players 
would  dominate  any  play  they  appeared  in,  no  matter 
how  small  the  parts  they  undertook.  One  cannot  bind 
genius  by  ordinary  rules.  It  would  perhaps  be  better  to 
say  that  these  stars  represented  the  repertory  system  at 
one  angle — they  represented  the  star  in  repertory.  Mans- 
field was  indefatigable  in  making  new  productions;  he 
was  also  indefatigable  in  keeping  up  his  repertoire.  He 
seldom  gave  less  than  five  plays  when  on  the  road.  A 
season  in  New  York,  given  about  a  dozen  years  ago, 
comprised  ten  plays.  He  produced  Shakespeare,  Ros- 
tand, Ibsen,  Moliere,  and  introduced  Bernard  Shaw  to 
American  audiences.  For  young  players  his  company 
was  a  veritable  school  of  theatre  art. 

Therefore  the  wholesale  condemnation  of  the  star  sys- 
tem must  be  qualified.  Or  the  wholesale  condemnation 
must  be  reserved  for  the  stars  who  are  not  stars  at  all, 
but  mere  "  hit-makers  "  in  a  certain  part.  Once  having 
made  the  hit  their  name  appears  in  capitals  and  they  con- 
tinue to  play  that  part,  or  a  part  as  nearly  like  it  as  pos- 
sible, world  without  end.  And  the  evil  of  the  long  run 
system  begins.  It  also  begins  when  a  play  without  a  star 
— quite  a  trivial  play  like  The  Boomerang — makes  a  hit 


REPERTORY  THEATRES  IN  GENERAL     225 

and  settles  down  on  Broadway  for  an  indefinite  term. 

Therefore  the  path  of  the  young  player  was  never 
more  difficult,  artistically  speaking,  than  it  is  today. 
There  are  few  dominating  geniuses  under  whose  banner 
he  can  enroll  himself  while  growing  in  his  art,  largely 
because  the  repertory  system  which  aided  in  developing 
genius  has  ceased  to  exist.  There  is  no  star — using  that 
term  in  its  highest  sense — in  the  United  States  today 
who  makes  any  attempt  at  repertory. 

Where,  then,  shall  the  aspiring  young  player  turn? 

Certainly  there  are  several  fine  stock  companies  that 
are  keeping  alive,  according  to  their  lights,  some  of  the 
traditions  of  repertory.  First  among  these  may  be 
mentioned  the  Northampton  (Mass.)  stock  company,  the 
most  significant  stock  company  in  the  country,  the  one 
stock  company  housed  in  a  municipal  theatre.  Count- 
less small  cities  throughout  the  land — cities  the  size  of 
Northampton  never  reached  by  any  first-rate  traveling 
company — could  further  the  cause  of  progress  in  dra- 
matic art  by  establishing  a  municipal  theatre. 

Besides  this  admirable  theatre  there  is  the  Castle  Square 
Theatre  in  Boston,  and  the  Pittsfield  Stock  Company. 
These,  with  the  Municipal  Theatre  of  Northampton,1  are 
the  leading  stock  companies  of  the  East,  just  as  Oliver 
Morosco's  stock  company  at  Los  Angeles  is  the  leading 
stock  company  of  the  West.2 

1  A  full   description  of  the  Northampton  Municipal  Theatre,  its 
beginnings  and  its  policy,  is  given  in  Appendix  III. 

2  Every  Summer,  of  course,  the  Summer  Stock  Company  blooms 
the  length  and  breadth  of  the  land,  from  Portland,  Me.,  to  Seattle, 
Wash.      Nor    is    the    American    Stock    Company    the    only    one 


226     REPERTORY  THEATRES  IN  GENERAL 

But  in  spite  of  the  many  excellencies  of  these  com- 
panies and  the  surprisingly  good  work  they  turn  out 
on  shoh  notice  the  young  player  cannot  stay  more  than 
two  or  three  years  with  any  one  of  them,  if  he  intends 
to  go  far  in  his  profession;  for  if  he  does  he  will  un- 
consciously acquire  facile  stock  "  tricks."  The  stock 
actor  suffers  from  the  short-run  system  almost  as  much 
as  from  the  long-run  system.  A  stock  company  does  not 
portray  the  ideal  repertory  system.  A  play  in  stock  runs 
for  a  week  and  is  then  snatched  off  and  another  play  is 
put  on.  While  the  stock  actor  is  rehearsing  Within  the 
Law  every  morning  he  is  also  playing  Seven  Keys  to 
Bald  pate  every  afternoon  and  evening.  Stock  develops 
versatility  and  fluency;  but  it  takes  more  than  these  to 
make  an  artist.  The  stock  idea  is  not  the  repertory  idea. 
In  repertory  one  play  a  month  may  be  given;  or  three 
plays  may  alternate  through  a  month  or  six  weeks.  These 
may  be  dropped  from  the  company's  program  for  a  month 
or  six  months  and  then  revived  again,  as  is  done  in  the 
best  repertory  companies  of  Europe.  The  question 
naturally  arises  as  to  why  no  attempts  have  been  made 

flourishing  in  the  United  States.  French  and  German  sojourners 
in  our  larger  cities  have  their  own  stock  companies  where  plays 
are  given  in  their  own  tongue.  New  York  has  a  number  of  for- 
eign stock  theatres;  the  oldest  of  these  is  the  Irving  Place  Theatre 
where  a  German  stock  company  gives  plays  and  operettas,  chang- 
ing their  bill  every  week  or  every  fortnight.  Adolf  Philip  and 
others  now  and  then  manage  other  German  companies,  and  there 
are  several  Yiddish  theatres.  The  Theatre  Francois,  which  strug- 
gled along  in  New  York  for  two  winters,  is  to  be  supplanted  by 
Jacques  Copeau  and  his  Theatre  du  Vieux  Colombier,  which  will 
be  a  repertory  theatre  rather  than  a  stock  company.  There  are 
also  occasional  performances  in  Italian. 


REPERTORY  THEATRES  IN  GENERAL     227 

to  establish  a  genuine  repertory  company  in  the  United 
States.  The  answer  is  that  several  attempts  have  been 
made.  Some  of  them  have  been  fortunate;  others  un- 
fortunate. None  of  them  have  lasted  longer  than  two 
seasons  at  the  most.  Is  this  a  sign  that  the  public  has 
turned  its  back  on  repertory  ? 

Let  us  see.  And  let  us  be  brave.  Let  us  begin  with 
one  of  repertory's  most  colossal  and  oft-quoted  failures — 
the  New  Theatre,  the  theatre  at  which  Granville  Barker 
took  one  look,  shook  his  head,  and  returned  to  England. 


THE  NEW  THEATRE 

THE  New  Theatre  opened  November,  1909,  under  the 

!  direction  of  Mr.  Winthrop  Ames.  It  was  an  endowed 
theatre,  devoted  to  the  repertory  system.  There  was 
,talk  of  its  becoming  a  national  theatre.  Thirty  men  of 
wealth  were  its  founders.  Each  subscribed  $35,000. 
The  whole  theatre  was  on  a  vast  scale.  It  was  in  effect 
Max  Reinhardt's  Theatre  of  The  Five  Thousand — a 
theatre  for  great  spectacles,  for  mass  effects,  for  big 
brush  work.  But  there  was  no  Max  Reinhardt  with  a 
large  corps  of  trained  assistants  ready  to  direct  its  destiny. 
During  its  first  season  it  was  a  failure  because  it  gave 
plays  of  intimate  appeal  which  were  lost  in  its  vast  audi- 
torium. Its  second  season  was  more  successful  than  its 
first,  because  it  gave  more  plays  of  the  spectacle  order.1 
But  still  the  theatre  was  run  at  a  loss,  and  it  closed  after 
its  second  season.  It  lacked  the  democracy  of  appeal  that 
a  theatre  of  The  Five  Thousand  should  have.  It  was, 
as  Henry  Miller  wittily  said,  "a  dramatization  of  the 
Diamond  Horseshoe  of  the  Metropolitan  Opera  House." 
It  showed  plainly  that  money  could  not  put  a  soul  into 
a  theatre :  could  not  even  save  a  theatre  wrongly  planned. 
The  New  Theatre  never  could  have  become  a  national 
theatre  for  it  lacked  the  spirit  which  makes  a  national 

1  It  also  gave  operas,  though  these  were  given  up  toward  mid- 
season. 

228 


THE  NEW  THEATRE  229 

theatre  possible.  To  call  it  a  repertory  theatre  was  almost 
a  misnomer;  for  it  was  too  vast,  too  undemocratic  to 
suit  that  term. 

Moreover,  most  of  its  productions  lacked  the  smooth- 
ness, the  unity,  the  rhythm,  that  a  perfectly  organized 
repertory  company  should  have.  The  company  gave  the 
effect  of  being  too  hastily  gathered  together.  There  was 
little  seasoned  work.  Then,  too,  changes  in  the  personnel 
were  constantly  being  made. 

Now  it  is  perhaps  not  too  much  to  claim  for  the  reper- 
tory system  that  every  attempt  to  establish  it,  whether  it 
failed  or  not,  has  in  it  something  of  permanent  value 
so  far  as  the  art  of  the  stage  is  concerned.  Failure  as 
the  New  Theatre  was  it  did  give  some  memorable  pro- 
ductions: 'Don,  by  Rudolph  Besier,  played  so  evenly, 
with  such  a  fine  sense  of  values  that,  though  it  was  a 
play  essentially  suited  to  an  intimate  theatre  it  made 
its  audiences  forget  the  vast  spaces  through  which  its 
points  had  to  travel  before  reaching  their  hearers.  Noth- 
ing more  beautiful  than  Edith  Wynne  Matthison's  spirit- 
ual portrayal  of  Sister  Beatrice  could  be  imagined.  The 
convent  hall,  its  great  door  opening  on  a  faint  pink  sky 
against  which  poplar  trees  shivered  silverly  in  the  wind 
of  dawn,  was  one  of  the  loveliest  stage  pictures  of  this 
decade.  The  production  of  Maeterlinck's  Blue  Bird  also 
left  little  to  be  desired.  Both  its  playing  and  its  inscen- 
ation  had  the  wistful  childlike  yet  colorful  note  of  true 
fairy  tales.  Wonderfully  pictorial  also  was  the  investi- 
ture of  Josephine  Preston  Peabody's  The  Piper  and  Mary 
Austin's  The  Arrowmaker.  Out  of  all  the  rest  of  the 


230     REPERTORY  THEATRES  IN  GENERAL 

New  Theatre's  work  that  has  faded  and  gone,  these  may 
be  counted  among  "  the  things  that  remain." 

Despite  the  defects  already  noted,  many  authorities  con- 
sider that  the  influence  of  these  two  repertory  seasons  at 
the  New  Theatre  was  most  significant  and  in  a  way  the 
father  of  the  many  independent  and  Little  Theatre  move- 
ments that  have  followed. 

Moreover,  in  spite  of  the  unsuitability  of  many  of  the 
plays  that  were  given  within  its  walls,  the  New  Theatre 
building  itself  was  very  important  as  indicating  to  Amer- 
ica the  fine  appearance  and  detached  situation  appropriate 
to  a  dignified  theatre.  W.  J.  Henderson,  the  musical 
critic  of  the  Sun,  rightly  called  it  "  The  most  beautiful 
theatre  in  the  Western  Herhisphere." 

The  repertory  of  the  New  Theatre  from  1909  till  1911 
was  as  follows: 

Antony  and  Cleopatra,  Twelfth  Night,  'A  Winter's  Tale, 
and  The  Merry  Wives  of  Windsor,  by  Shakespeare ;  The 
Cottage  in  the  Air,  by  Edward  Knoblauch;  Strife,  by  John 
Galsworthy;  The  Nigger,  by  Edward  Sheldon;  The  School 
for  Scandal,  by  Sheridan;  Liz,  the  Mother  (anonymous)  ; 
Don,  by  Rudolph  Besier;  The  Witch,  by  Weirs  Janssen, 
adapted  by  Hermann  Hagedorn ;  A£t  IV  of  Brand,  by  Ib- 
sen ;  Sister  Beatrice  and  The  Blue  Bird,  by  Maeterlinck ; 
The  Arrowmaker,  by  Mary  Austin;  The  Piper,  by  Jose- 
phine Peabody;  The  Thunderbolt,  by  Pinero;  Nobody's 
Daughter,  by  Paston,  and  Old  Heidelberg,  by  Meyer 
Foerster. 

There  were  also  produced  during  these  two  seasons  by 
visiting  companies,  and  most  of  them  in  the  subscription 


THE  NEW  THEATRE  231 

series,  71  Son  of  the  People,  by  Michaelis;  Beethoven, 
by  Fauchois;  Vanity  Fair,  by  Hichens  and  Lenox,  and 
Mary  Magdalene,  by  Maeterlinck. 

After  its  first  two  seasons  this  theatre  went  through 
varied  fortunes  under  the  name  of  The  Century.  Two 
seasons  were  given  up  to  spectacular  productions  of 
The  Garden  of  Allah  and  The  Daughter  of  Heaven. 
Later  Mr.  Otto  H.  Kahn  and  some  of  the  original  direct- 
ors of  the  New  Theatre  project,  along  with  other  asso- 
ciates, gave,  with  the  Century  Opera  Company,  two  of 
the  best  seasons  (1913-1915)  of  popular-priced  opera  in 
English  that  America  has  ever  known.  Since  then  the 
house  has  been  devoted  to  "  musical  shows  "  of  a  very 
popular  order  and  not  of  the  dignity  which  it  was  once 
hoped  might  characterize  productions  within  its  walls. 


GRANVILLE  BARKER  ON  BROADWAY 

A  SUCCESSFUL  repertory  experiment  was  made  by 
Granville  Barker  and  his  excellent  company  during  the 
season  of  1914-1915,  when  he  gave  a  flawless  produc- 
tion of  Anatole  France's  whimsical  play,  The  Man  Who 
Married  a  Dumb  Wife,  and  Shaw's  paradoxical 
^Androcles  and  the  Lion.  The  settings  for  these  marked 
a  new  advance  in  stage-craft  so  perfectly  did  the 
W  I  investiture  catch  the  spirit  of  each  piece.  Mr.  Barker  did 
much  for  the  pictorial  side  of  stage  art  through  intro- 
ducing the  work  of  Robert  Jones  and  Norman  Wilkin- 
son to  a  large  public.  The  spirited,  mellowly  humorous 
acting  of  these  plays  left  nothing  to  be  desired. 

Exotically  interesting  also  was  Mr.  Barker's  produc- 
tion of  Shakespeare's  Midsummer  Night's  Dream,  with 
costumes  and  settings  from  the  Eastern  Ind,  and  its 
gilded  fairies.  A  little  less  interesting  was  his  produc- 
tion of  Shaw's  The  Doctor's  Dilemma. 

Mr.  Barker  was  brought  to  this  country  by  the  Stage 
Society,  an  organization  which  helps  to  foster  the  cre- 
ative things  of  drama,  and  Mr.  Barker's  season  is  ever- 
lastingly to  their  credit.  But  it  is  a  rule  with  the  Stage 
Society  to  start  new  movements,  and  once  they  are  on 
their  feet,  to  begin  their  work  anew  elsewhere.  They 
brought  Mr.  Barker  to  this  country;  but  they  did  not 
guarantee  their  support  of  his  work  for  more  than  a 

232 


GRANVILLE  BARKER  ON  BROADWAY     233 

season.  Now  such  work  as  Mr.  Barker's  demands  a 
following  that  can  be  counted  on,  or  at  least  a  backing. 
And  as  no  such  backing  was  forthcoming  in  the  United 
States  (despite  the  promises  of  various  wealthy  patrons 
of  the  arts),  Mr.  Barker  returned  to  England,  and  as  a 
producer  America  knew  him  no  more.  But  Mr.  Barker's 
influence  is  still  felt  in  the  things  of  the  theatre.  The 
American  stage  is  richer  for  his  having  come.  Appar- 
ently his  season  in  the  United  States  was  an  artistic 
rather  than  an  immense  financial  success. 

An  immense  financial  success!  Here  is  the  crux  of 
the  whole  problem.  American  managers  want  to  make 
vast  sums  of  money;  not  merely  moderate  sums  of 
money.  Why  trouble  about  the  great  art  of  the  theatre 
and  gain  some  paltry  thousands  of  dollars  when  such 
plays  as  Polyanna  can  be  sent  upon  the  road  to  make 
half  a  million?  Commercialism  lies  at  the  root  of  the 
whole  matter.  It  is  cheaper  to  put  on  a  long-run  play 
than  to  put  on  repertory,  and  vastly  more  money  is  to 
be  made  by  it. 


GRACE  GEORGE'S  REPERTORY  SEASON 

IN  1916-1917  that  brilliant  actress-manager,  Grace 
George,  produced  five  social  comedies,  every  one  of  them 
worth  while  from  a  literary  as  well  as  a  dramatic  point 
of  view.  These  were  The  New  York  Idea,  by  Langdon 
Mitchell;  The  Liars,  by  Henry  Arthur  Jones;  Major 
Barbara,  by  Bernard  Shaw;  The  Earth,  by  James  D. 
Fagan;  Captain  Brassbound,  by  Bernard  Shaw.  The 
New  York  Idea,  Captain  Brassbound,  and  The  Liars  had 
been  seen  before;  Major  Barbara  was  produced  for  the 
first  time  in  this  country,  and  The  Earth  for  the  first  time 
in  New  York.  The  work  of  Miss  George  and  her  asso- 
ciates was  universally  praised.  Although  she  might  be 
said  to  have  been  the  star  of  her  repertory  company  she 
never  kept  the  center  of  the  stage.  The  plays  were  pro- 
duced primarily  as  plays,  not  as  vehicles  for  self -exploi- 
tation. Her  season  was  an  unqualified  success,  lasting 
eight  months.  "  The  repertory  theatre  at  last ! "  cried 
the  press  and  the  public. 

The  chief  critics  of  the  country  hailed  this  move  of 
Miss  George's  as  one  of  the  most  significant  things 
accomplished  during  the  whole  year.  Forthwith  it  was 
stated  that  Miss  George  would  have  a  repertory  season 
every  Winter.  But  another  season  has  passed  and  this 
promise  has  not  been  fulfilled.  Miss  George  may  want 
to  appear  in  repertory,  but  conditions  are  against  her. 

234 


GRACE  GEORGE'S  REPERTORY  SEASON   235 

Indeed  it  was  this  accomplished  actress  who  said,  upon 
witnessing  one  of  the  first  programs  ever  given  by  the 
Washington  Square  Players :  "  Any  one  interested  in 
the  theatre  could  do  nothing  better  than  to  help  finance 
this  group." 


THE  LITTLE  THEATRE  AND  REPERTORY 

AND  Miss  George  hit  the  nail  on  the  head.  For,  after 
his  wanderings  from  commercial  theatre  to  commercial 
theatre,  the  aspiring  young  actor  will  find  that  it  is  in 
the  Little  Theatres  with  their  repertory  system  that  the 
possibilities  for  progress  in  his  art  are  most  apparent. 
While  repertory  is  dying  out  of  the  commercial  theatre 
it  is  bearing  new  and  significant  fruit  in  the  Little  The- 
atres. They  are  the  repertory  theatres  of  the  present. 
No  need  to  talk  of  establishing  repertory  theatres.  The 
repertory  theatre  is  here,  in  our  midst.  To  the  ambitious 
actor  as  well  as  to  the  ambitious  playwright  it  offers 
salient  advantages.  What  though  the  salary  be  small, 
the  actor  in  a  Little  Theatre  is  given  an  engagement 
that  lasts  the  full  season :  there  is  no  wear  and  tear :  no 
nerve-fraying  uncertainty.  There  is  no  going  on  the 
road  with  dreary  one-night  stands :  no  time  wasted  going 
about  to  agents'  offices  hunting  for  the  ever  elusive  job. 
The  actor  in  the  Little  Theatre  may  have  to  practise 
economy.  But  it  is  easier  to  economize  than  to  worry. 
Worry  has  too  often  caused  the  death  of  art.  (And 
incidentally  of  the  artist. )  The  Washington  Square 
Players  are  paid  small  salaries  by  the  year.  That  is, 
their  salaries  continue  over  the  Summer  months  when 
they  are  not  playing. 

AS  tp  whether  or  not  the  young  actor  profits  artisti- 

236 


THE  LITTLE  THEATRE  AND  REPERTORY    237 

cally  by  the  repertory  system,  take  the  concrete  case  of 
Jose  Ruben  of  the  Washington  Square  Players.  Here 
is  a  young  Frenchman,  whose  gifts,  now  being  widely 
recognized,  would  probably  have  been  lost  in  the  com- 
mercial theatre.  From  the  first  his  training  has  been 
in  repertory.  He  came  to  this  country  six  or  seven  years 
ago,  playing  small  parts  in  Sarah  Bernhardt's  company. 
Then  he  became  leading  man  for  the  French  Theatre 
Company — who  acted  in  the  tiny  playhouse  on  top  of  the 
Century  roof — where  they  gave  repertory.  After  this 
French  company  collapsed,  Mr.  Ruben  played  his  first 
English-speaking  role,  a  minor  part  in  The  Garden  of 
Allah.  Then  came  a  brief  tour  with  Madam  Yorska  in 
vaudeville,  and  then  in  1916-1917  his  engagement  with 
the  Washington  Square  Players. 

Now  Mr.  Ruben  had  been  a  leading  man;  he  had  also 
acted  with  one  of  the  greatest  actresses  of  all  time;  but 
he  saw  in  the  Washington  Square  Players  a  chance  not 
for  money-making,  but  for  development,  and  he  took  it. 
Now  his  name  is  becoming  one  to  conjure  with.  As  Mr. 
Woolcot,  the  critic  of  the  New  York  Times,  puts  it: 
"  His  season  with  them  had  done  much  for  them,  for 
him,  and  for  us." 

This  is  the  keynote  of  what  is  being  accomplished  by 
our  new  repertory  theatres.    They  release  the  power  of   • 
the  actor,  and  by  freeing  his  imagination  they  likewise    \ 
liberate  the  imagination  of  the  audience. 


APPENDICES 


THE  LITTLE  THEATRE  IN  MEDIAEVAL  TIMES 

WHILE  Antoine's  Theatre  was  the  first  intimate  indoor 
theatre  in  the  true  sense  of  the  word,  there  had  already 
been  many  intimate  outdoor  theatres  before  his  time. 
It  is  interesting  to  note  that  just  as  the  first  large  theatre 
was  an  outdoor  theatre,  as  embodied  in  the  theatre  of 
the  Greeks,  and  later  became  an  indoor  theatre,  so  also 
the  intimate  theatre  had  its  beginning  out  of  doors.  The 
idea  of  the  first  large  theatre  came  from  the  Occident; 
but  the  idea  of  a  limited  audience  came  from  the  Orient. 

Six  or  seven  hundred  years  before  the  Theatre  Antoine 
existed  the  plays  of  the  No  were  given  in  Japan  before 
an  audience  which  was  never  allowed  to  exceed  twenty 
persons,  and  seldom  numbered  more  than  fifteen.  These 
plays  were  usually  given  in  the  garden  of  some  private 
estate.  They  had  the  smallest  permanent  audience  on 
record — purposely  kept  small,  because  the  plays  of  the 
No  were  a  drama  of  aristocracy.  Later  a  popular  theatre 
developed  in  Japan;  yet  until  the  middle  of  the  nine- 
teenth century  the  Daimios  or  grandees  were  not  allowed 
to  attend  the  common  theatre.  Therefore  the  plays  of 
the  No  were  the  only  plays  they  could  see.  These  plays 
were  usually  of  a  legendary  or  religious  character,  "  for 
the  appreciation  of  the  elect,  of  nobles  with  minds  trained 

241 


242  APPENDICES 

to  catch  the  subtle  illusion  on  which  the  plays  were 
based."  They  were  the  intellectual  dramas  of  Japan. 

Thus  in  the  Orient  the  limited  audience,  the  small 
theatre  was  aristocratic  in  the  extreme,  while  in  the 
Occident  the  small  theatre  is  essentially  the  theatre  of 
democracy.  In  the  Orient  the  Little  Theatre,  through  its 
dramas,  kept  alive  the  old  and  traditional  ideas;  in  the 
Occident  the  Little  Theatre  stands  and  has  stood  for  all 
that  is  newest  in  ideas  and  art. 

The  garden  theatres  of  mediaeval  Italian  noblemen 
were  also  of  the  intimate  type:  the  eighteenth  century 
indoor  court  theatres  of  Germany  were  often  small  in 
circumference;  but  it  was  not  until  the  opening  of  the 
Theatre  Antoine  that  the  genuine  Little  Theatre  came 
definitely  into  view. 


II 

LITTLE  THEATRES  THAT  HAVE  FAILED 

Out  of  fifty-five  Little  Theatres  in  the  United  States 
there  have  been  four  failures;  a  small  percentage  when 
one  considers  the  odds  to  be  overcome.  Sometimes  the 
reason  for  failure  lies  with  the  theatre;  sometimes  it  is 
the  audience  that  is  to  blame.  A  produced  play  is  a 
collaborated  effort.  Audience  and  players  are  inter- 
dependent. A  genuine  love  for  art  must  exist  in  a  com- 
munity both  inside  and  outside  the  playhouse  if  the 
Little  Theatre  is  to  succeed.  Where  there  is  apprecia- 
tion with  both  players  and  audience  a  Little  Theatre 
cannot  fail.  The  admirable  Little  Theatre  of  Denver 
(1915-1916)  failed  for  lack  of  a  literary  public.  The 
Princess  Players  in  New  York  failed  because  they  tried 
to  give  the  public  what  their  director  thought  the  public 
wanted,  and  even  the  great  gifts  of  Mr.  Holbrook  Blinn 
did  not  serve  to  ward  off  disaster.  The  Toy  Theatre 
in  Boston  failed  because  it  was  what  its  name  implied. 
Its  workers  did  not  take  it  seriously.  The  Nine  O'Clock 
Theatre  in  New  York  (1916)  failed  before  it  got  to  its 
first  public  performance  because  it  was  established  with- 
out taking  into  consideration  either  the  building  laws  or 
the  fire  laws.  When  it  was  found  that  it  could  not  be 
made  over  to  comply  with  these,  it  was  abandoned. 

243 


244  APPENDICES 

Charles  Edison's  Little  Thimble  Theatre  (1915-1916)! 
is  temporarily  closed,  though  not  through  lack  of  an 
appreciative  public.  But  it  cannot  at  present  be  listed 
under  Little  Theatres  that  are  in  actual  existence.  Why 
it  should  be  closed  is  a  matter  that  rests  on  the  knees 
of  the  gods.  It  was  the  one  free  theatre  in  New  York 
City  devoted  to  the  interests  of  American  artists.  That 
is,  admittance  was  without  charge.  Tickets  were  sent 
upon  request.  To  quote  from  its  first  announcement : 
"  Charles  Edison's  Little  Thimble  Theatre  has  no  other 
purpose  than  to  give  young  American  musicians,  com- 
posers, poets,  and  playwrights  a  hearing."  This  the 
Thimble  Theatre  gave  them  on  its  tiny,  charmingly  dec- 
orated stage  four  nights  a  week.  There  was  always  an 
interested  audience.  The  beginner  in  any  art  finds  it 
difficult  to  get  a  hearing.  This  theatre  removed  that 
initial  difficulty.  The  great  Free  Folk  Stage  of  Ger- 
many, the  most  liberating  force  in  the  German  theatre, 
sprang  from  a  beginning  something  similar  to  this.  It  is 
a  pity  that  such  a  Little  Theatre  as  this  cannot  be  per- 
manently established  in  this  county. 

The  Little  Theatre  of  Winston-Salem,  N.  C,  failed 
for  lack  of  public  appreciation  and  support,  although  its 
efforts  were  ambitious  and  interesting. 


Ill 


THE  MUNICIPAL  THEATRE  OF  NORTHAMPTON 
(MASS.) 

NORTHAMPTON,  Mass.,  has  the  only  Municipal  The- 
atre in  the  United  States,  and  its  history  is  thus  tersely 
set  forth  on  the  theatre  programs : 

"  Northampton,  Mass.,  has  the  distinction  of  being  the 
first  city  in  the  United  States  to  establish  a  Municipal 
Theatre  and  company — Municipal,  because  the  theatre  is  . 
owned  by  the  city  and  the  support  of  the  resident  com- 
pany of  players  practically  guaranteed  by  the  city  through 
subscription  tickets  and  pledge  cards.  This  idea  was  put 
forth  and  made  operative  by  the  Northampton  Board  of 
Trade,  January,  1914,  when  they  appointed  a  large 
committee  of  citizens  to  take  charge  of  the  subscription 
sale  of  seats.  There  is  also  a  Citizen  Play  Committee 
that  co-operates  with  the  directors  7n  the  selection  of 
plays  and  a  special  committee  for  the  selection  of  stand- 
ard or  unusual  plays  which  the  theatre  presents  once  in 
eight  weeks. 

"  The  theatre  was  the  gift,  in  1892,  of  a  Northampton 
citizen,  Mr.  E.  H.  R.  Lyman.  Its  affairs  are  governed 
by  a  board  of  trustees,  among  whom  there  must  always 
be  the  Mayor  of  Northampton  and  the  President  of 
Smith  College.  This  board  is  self-perpetuating  and 
serves  without  salary, 

345 


246  APPENDICES 

"  For  a  number  of  years,  productions  of  various  sorts 
were  booked  and  financially  the  Academy  had  its  ups  and 
downs  with  a  varying  kind  of  entertainment  offered, 
ranging  from  the  cheapest  of  road  companies  to  the  best. 

"  A  feeling  that  Northampton  was  entitled  to  some- 
thing better  and  that  the  theatre  was  not  fulfilling  the 
ideals  of  the  giver,  gave  the  impetus  to  the  movement 
which  resulted  in  a  resident  company  in  1912. 

"  The  first  directors  of  the  company  were  Bertram 
Harrison  and  Jessie  Bonstelle  of  New  York  City.  Both 
Mr.  Harrison  and  Miss  Bonstelle  have  had  long  and 
varied  experience  in  the  theatre — managing,  producing, 
and  acting — and  feeling  that  the  establishment  of  one 
Municipal  Theatre  would  eventually  lead  to  others  and 
thereby  help  to  place  the  theatre  in  this  country  on  a 
firmer  foundation  as  an  institution,  they  were  deeply 
interested  in  this  pioneer  movement  and  assumed  the 
directorship  with  enthusiasm. 

"  A  resident  company  of  much  more  than  ordinary 
ability  presents  a  new  play  each  week  and  only  the  best 
of  the  traveling  companies  are  booked  in  for  an  engage- 
ment of  one  night,  when  the  Players  rest  or  visit  other 
towns.  A  wide  variety  of  plays  are  given  to  please  all 
tastes  and  a  new  and  adequate  production  arranged  for 
each  play. 

"  Northampton  and  the  surrounding  towns  are  there- 
fore being  entertained  with  high-grade  amusement  at  a 
minimum  expense  and  this  is  due  to  the  activities  of  the 
citizens  of  Northampton. 

"  The  interest  awakened  throughout  the  country  by 


Above,  MUNICIPAL  THEATRE,  NORTHAMPTON,  MASS. 

Below,   THE   LITTLE   THEATRE  OF   PLAINFIELD,   N.    H.   :  A'Coantry 

Theatre,  remodeled  from  a  town  hall.     (See  Pa^e    214.) 


APPENDICES  247 

this  local  experiment  is  indicated  by  the  number  and 
the  nature  of  the  inquiries  which  come  to  the  theatre 
from  every  section  of  the  United  States."  . 

The  theatre  has  had  many  interesting  visitors,  includ- 
ing the  Mayor  of  San  Francisco,  who  was  considering 
the  idea  for  the  West ;  also  Lady  Gregory,  Brieux,  Gran- 
ville  Barker,  Clayton  Hamilton,  Walter  Pritchard  Eaton, 
Alfred  Noyes,  E.  A.  Thomas,  Mrs.  Richard  Mansfield; 
and  Forbes-Robertson  gave  his  final  performance  of 
Hamlet  on  his  first  farewell  tour  at  the  Northampton 
Theatre  and  said  to  the  public  in  a  curtain  speech: 

"  No  matter  what  it  costs  you,  do  not  give  up  your 
Municipal  Theatre." 

The  repertory  of  this  Northampton  Theatre  for  its 
first  five  seasons,  1912-1917,  will  be  found  to  contain 
most  of  the  more  striking  American  drama  of  those 
years,  and  some  of  the  best  of  earlier  seasons,  including 
The  Great  Divide,  by  Moody;  Shore  Acres,  by  Herne; 
Captain  Jinks,  by  Fitch;  Broadway  Jones,  by  Cohan; 
Sherlock  Holmes,  by  Gillette;  My  Lady's  Dress,  by 
Knoblauch;  The  Girl  of  the  Golden  West  and  The  Dar- 
ling of  the  Gods,  by  Belasco;  In  the  Van  Guard,  by  Mrs. 
Trask  (first  production  anywhere);  other  plays  by 
George  Ade,  George  Middleton,  and  Percival  Wilde — 
such  popular  successes  as  Brewster's  Millions,  Officer 
666,  The  Rose  of  the  Rancho,  Under  Fire,  The  Old 
Homestead,  The  Squaw  Man,  It  Pays  to  Advertise, 
etc.,  etc. 

Besides  the  annual  Shakespeare  production,  among 
notable  plays  by  foreigners  given  were :  The  School  for 


248  APPENDICES 

Scandal,  by  Sheridan;  You  Never  Can  Tell  and  The 
Devil's  Disciple,  by  Shaw;  Trelawney  of  the  Wells  and 
The  Amazons,  by  Pinero;  The  Little  Minister,  by  Barrie; 
Milestones,  by  Arnold  Bennett;  The  Morals  of  Marcus, 
by  Locke;  Don,  by  Besier;  The  Importance  of  Being 
Earnest,  by  Wilde;  The  Learned  Ladies,  by  Moliere; 
Sister  Beatrice,  by  Maeterlinck,  and  an  adaptation  of 
The  Great  Galleoto,  by  Echegaray. 
;  At  the  close  of  the  season  of  1916-17  Miss  Bonstelle 
and  Mr.  Harrison  retired  from  the  management,  and 
have  been  succeeded  by  Mr.  Melville  Burke,  who  had 
good  work  to  his  credit  at  the  St.  Louis  Little  Theatre. 


INDEX 


Abbey  Theatre,  8 

See  also  Irish  Players 
Aberdeen,  Lord  and  Lady,  117 
Abraham  and  Isaac,  149,  152 
According  to  Darwin  (P.  Wilde), 

82 
Acting,  199,  201,  203 

Great,    5 

School,   37 

Adams,   Maude,   203 
Ade,   George,   163,  247 

Marse  Covington,  119 

Nettie,  196 
Admirable         Bashville,         The 

(Shaw),   178 

After  Burial   (Perez),  60 
Afternoon  Theatre,  London,  10 
Agassiz    Theatre,    185 
Age   of  Reason,   The    (Dorrian), 

3*  . 

Aglavaine    and    Selysette    (Mae- 
terlinck), 38 
Akins,  Zoe 

Magical  City,   The,  33,   38,  90 

Papa,  157,  158 

Such  a  Charming  Young  Man, 

82 

Alchemist,  The,  181 
Aldis,   Arthur,    121 
Aldis,  Mary  (Mrs.  Arthur),  121- 

125 

Case  No.  34,  117 
Extreme  Unction,  123,  125 
Mrs.  Pat  and  the  Law,  125 
Plays    for    Small    Stages,    in, 

124 

Temperament,  125 
Aleichem,    Sholom,    65 
Alexander,  Grace,  163 
Alexander,  Mrs.  John,  141 
Alibi,  The  (Osborne),  90 
Alice   in    Wonderland    (Gersten- 
berg),  in,  157,  158 


All    the    Comforts    of    a    Home 

(Gillette),  77 
Allen,  Margaret  T.,  108 
Altruism   (Ettlinger),  32,  35,  38 
Amateur  Comedy  Club,  77-78 
Amateurs,  77,  84,  91,  95,  116,  121, 

123-124 

Professionals  mingled  with,  157 
Amazons,  The  (Pinero),  77,  119, 

248 

Ambition   (Sherry),  146 
America   Passes   By    (Andrews), 

125,  133 

American  authors,  48,  51,  52 
Ames,  Winthrop 

Little  Theatre,  character,  25 
Little    Theatre    in    New    York 

established,  15 
New  Theatre,  228-231 
Anatol   (Schnitzler),  25,  88,   108, 

158 

Ancey,  George,  3 
Andrews,  Ann,   157 
Andrews,   Charlton 

His  Majesty  the  Fool,  100 
Andrews,  Kenneth 

America  Passes  By,  125,  133 
Andreyeff,  Leonid,  3,  4 
Life  of  Man,  The,  38 
Love  of  One's  Neighbor,  37 
Sabine  Woman,  7,  162 
'Androcles  and  the  Lion   (Shaw), 

232 

Anglin,  Margaret,  203 
Another     Interior      (anon.),     29, 

37 
Another  Way  Out  (Langner),  32, 

35,  38 

Antick,  The  (Mackaye),  38 
Antoine,   Andre 

Experimentation,  3,  4 
Little    Theatre    experiment,    2, 
241,  242 


249 


250 


INDEX 


'Antony    and    Cleopatra    (Shake- 
speare), 230 

Applause,  90,  144 

Arabian  Nights,  64,  67 

Archaologist  and  the  Lady,   The 
(Mayhew),  146 

Ardmn   (Rice),  137 

Ariane  and  Barbe  Bleu  (Maeter- 
linck), 149 

Arkell,   Reginald 
Columbine,  108 

Arms  and  the  Man   (Shaw),  149 

Arrowmaker,  The  (Austin),  229, 
230 

Art  Guild  Theatre,   147 

Art  Theatres,   103,   156 
Moscow,  5,  6 
Munich,    12 
Petrograd,   7 

Arthur,  Julia,  206 

Arthurs,   Helen,  55 

Artist,  The  (Mencken),  172,  173, 
176 

Artists'  Guild,  St.  Louis,  136 

Arts  and  Crafts  Theatre  of  De- 
troit,   147-152 

Scene  from  The  Glittering  Gate 
(ill.),  opp.   174 

lArvold,  A.  G.,  210,  211,  213 

'As  You  Do  It  (Kinne),  146 

As    You   Like  It    (Shakespeare), 
204 

lAsch,  Sholom 
Night,  63,  64 
fTith  the  Current,  58 

Ashworth,  G.  B.,  81 

At    Night    All    Cats    Are    Gray 
(Garland),  82 

At  Slovsfty's    (Hawkbridge),   132 

Augier,  Emile.     See  Musset,  Al- 
fred de,  and  Emile  Augier 

Augustus  Does  His  Bit    (Shaw), 
178 

Austin,  Mary 

Arrowmaker,    The,  229,   230 

'Awakening     of     Narradin,     The 
(Blum   and  Lieberman),   64 

Bachelor  of  Arts  degree,   199 
Bahr,  Hermann 
Poor  Fool,  The,  38 


Baker,    Elizabeth,    102 
Baker,  G.  P.,  183-189 
"  Baker's   Dozen,"    183 
Ballard,    Frederick,    183 
Baltimore,    169-176 

Monument  Square,   170 

West  Center   Street,   170 
Banbury  Cross   (Bruegger),   114 
Bandbox   Theatre,   28,   29,    30 
Bank  Account,  The   (Brook),  68, 

132 
Banning,  Margaret  C. 

Her  Sacred  Duty,  141,  142 
Barbarians   (Wellman),  53 
Baring,   Maurice 

Catherine  Parr,   105,   107,    108, 

196 

Barker,    Granville,   47,    105,    106, 
142,  151,  197,  226,  247 

On  Broadway,  232-233 

See    also    Housman,    Laurence, 

and  Granville  Barker 
Barn  Theatre,  215 
Barnard   College,  71 
Barnsdall,    Aline,    156,    157,    158 
Barrie,   Sir  J.   M.,   102 

Little  Minister,   The,  248 

Pantaloon,  77 

Rosalind,  119 

Twelve-Pound    Look,    91,    142, 
206 

Will,  The,  142 
Barren,   Elwyn 

See  Bates,  Morgan,  and  Elwyn 

Barron 

Barrymore,  Ethel,   56 
Bates,  Morgan,   and  Elwyn  Bar- 
ron 

Mountain  Pink,  A,  119 
Bates,  W.  O.,  159,   161 

Polly  of  Pogue's  Run,  161,  163 
Bayreuth  of  the  United  States,  93 
Beach,  Lewis,  183 

Clod,  The,  33,  38 

Return  of  the  Prodigal,  192 
Bear,  The   (Tchekoff),  38,   133 
Beau    of    Bath,    The    (Mackay), 

142,   179 

Bee  in  a  Drone's  Hive,  A   (Par- 
ker), 212 
Beethoven   (Fauchois),  231 


INDEX 


251 


Before   Breakfast    (O'Neill),    52, 

53 
Belasco,   David,  21,   39 

Darling  of  the  Gods,  The,  247 
Girl  of  the  Golden  West,  The, 

247 

Bel-Geddes,   Norman,    157 
Bell,   Oliver,    172 
Beloit,  Wis.,   144 
Bennett,   Arnold 

Good   Woman,   A,   87 
What  the  Public  Wants,  102 

Bennett,     Arnold, and     Edward 

Knoblauch 
Milestones,  142,  248 
Berkeley  Lyceum,   64 
Berlin,    Reinhardt's   beginning   of 

a  Little  Theatre,  10 
Bernhardt,  Sarah,  5,  237 
Bernstein,  Florence 

Yoku-Ki,   100 
Besier,   Rudolph 
Don,  229,  230,  248 
Lady  Patricia,   178 
Betrayal,  The  (Colum),  175,  176, 

203 
Between  the  Lines  (Chorpenning), 

192 
Between    Two    Lives    (Burkett), 

213 

Bierstadt,     Edward.       See     Bur- 
leigh,    Louise,    and    Edward 
Bierstadt 
Bird  with  a  Broken  Wing,  The, 

118 
Birthday  of  the  Infanta  (Wilde), 

43i   192 

Bispham,    David,    5^6 
Bjornson,  Bjornstjerne,  210 

Leonore,  211 

Newly    Wedded    Couple,    The, 

211 

Black  'Ell  (Maleson),  58,  60,  176 
Blake,  Catherine,  163 
Blind,  Eric,   57 

Blind  Wife,  A   (Morley),  146 
Blinn,   Holbrook,  243 
Bloch,  Bertram,  177 
Blood  Dark,  196 
Blue  Bird  (Maeterlinck),  6,  229, 
230 


Blum,  Gustav,  and  Elias  Lieber- 
man 

Awakening   of  Narradin,   The, 

64 
Bodenheim,  Maxwell 

Poet's  Heart,  114 
Bodenheim,    Maxwell,    and    Wil- 
liam Saphier 

Brown,  113 

See  also  Hecht,  Ben,  and  Max- 
well Bodenheim 

Bolton,     Guy,     and    Tom     Carl- 
ton 

Children,  38 
Bond,    Milton 

Kay  at,   87 

Bonheur,  Lucien,  99 
Bonstelle,   Jessie,   246,  248 
Book  of  Tobit,  The,  97 
Boomerang,  The,  224 
Bored  (Mosher),  53 
Boston 

Castle     Square    Theatre,     184, 
192,   225 

Dartmouth    Dramatic    Associa- 
tion  in,   197 

Jordan  Hall,  190 

Toy  Theatre,  15,  123,  138,  186, 

243 

Boston  Transcript,  123 
Bottomly,   Gordon 

Crier  by  Night,  44 
Boucicault 

Kerry,  119 

London  Assurance,  77 
Bound  East  for  Cardiff  (O'Neill), 

52,  53,  176,  178 
Bourget,  Paul 

Which  One?,  125 
iBoyce,    Neith 

Two  Sons,  The,  53 

Winter's  Night,  53 
Boyce,  Neith,  and  Hutchins  Hap- 
good 

Enemies,  53 
Bracco,  Robert 

Don  Pietro  Caruso,  137 

Honorable  Lover,  The,  38 

Night  of  Snow,  38 
Bracelet,   The    (Sutro),  206 
Bramhall  Playhouse,  26 


252 


INDEX 


Branch,  Anna  H. 

Bubbles,  146 

Branch  Road,  A   (Garland),  146 
Brand   (Ibsen),  230 
Brand,  Louise 

City  Hall  Central,  146 
Breed,  D.  L. 

Purple  Dream,  The,  192 
Bregg,  C.  M.,  203 
Brewster's  Millions,  247 
Bridgeport  Players,   91 
Bridging    the    Chasm    (Carlson), 

212 

Brieux,  Eugene,  2,  4,  102,  247 
Brighouse,    Harold,    149 

Lonesome  Like,  60,  142,  152 

Price  of  Coal,  The,  58,  60 

Spring  in  Bloomsbury,  178 
Bright    Morning,    A    (Quintero), 
82 

Cf.  Sunny  Morning,  A 
Broadway  Jones  (Cohan),  247 
Broken  God,  The   (Flexner),  162 
Brook,  Howard 

Bank  Account,  The,  68,  132 
Brooke,  Rupert 

Lithuania,  98,  102,  163 
Brooklyn  Repertory  Theatre,  68 
Brookville,   Penn.,    166 
Brown,  Alice 

Joint  Owners  in  Spain,  108 

Sugar  House,  The,  38 
Brown,   Harrison,   162 
Brown  (Bodenheim  and  Saphier), 

"3 

Browne,  Maurice,   102-108,  219 
King    of    the   Jews,    The,    105, 

107 
Little    Theatre    established     in 

Chicago,   15 
Browning,   Robert 
In  a  Balcony,  206 
Pippa  Passes,  60 
Bruegger,   Frederick 
B anbury  Cross,  114 
Rumor,  114 
You  Can't  Get  Away  From  It, 

114 

Brussels,   13 
Bryant,  Louise 
Game,  The,  53 


Bubbles   (Branch),   146 

Budapest,  13 

Budd,    Caroline   H! 

Only  Girl  in  Sight,  The,  191 
Buffalo 

Drama   League   Players,    84-85 

Lighthouse,    85 
Bully,    The     (J.    F.    Goodman), 

165 

Burden  of  Life,  The,  196 
Burke,  Melville,   135 
Burkett,   Charles 

Between   Two  Lives,  213 
Burleigh,     Louise,     and    Edward 
Bierstadt 

Punishment,  117,  119 
Burton,   Richard,  203 
Bushido    (Izumo),  32,  34,   36,   38 

Scene    (ill.),  opp.   32 
Bynner,  Witter 

Little  King,  The,  196 
By-Products  (Patterson),  119,  124 

Calderon,  George 

Little  Stone  House,  The,  102 
California,    156-158 
Call     of     the     Mountain,      The 

(Ranck),   191 

Cambridge,  Mass.,  183,  186 
Campden    Wonder,    The    (Mase- 

field),  87,   102 
Canaan,  Gilbert 

James  and  John,  196 
Candida   (Shaw),   133 
Cape  Cod,  46 
Captain  Brassbound's  Conversion 

(Shaw),  55,  60,  234 
Captain  Jinks  (Fitch),  247 
Cariagiale,  I.  L. 

Eye  for  an  Eye,  An,  137 
Carlson,  Charles 

Bridging  the  Chasm,  212 
Carlton,  Tom.     See  Bolton,  Guy, 

and   Tom   Carlton 
Carmel,  Mathew 
Moving   Picture   Burlesque,  A, 

146 

Carnegie  Institute,  Pittsburgh,  199 
Carrier  Pigeon,  The  (Phillpotts), 

142 
Carter,  Huntly,  150 


INDEX 


253 


Case  No.  34  (Aldis),  117 

Castle  Square  Theatre   (Boston), 

184,  192,  225 
Catherine    Parr     (Baring),     105, 

107,   108,   196 
Cathleen    ni*    Hoolihan    (Yeats), 

163,  178 
Centennial  Cycle  (Thompson  and 

others),  163 
Century,   The,  231 
Century  Opera   Company,  231 
Champney,  Margaret 

Nothing  but  Money,  191 
Chaplet    of    Pan,    The    (Stevens 

and  Rice),  204 
Charade,  214 

Cheney,  Sheldon,  quoted,  151 
Chicago 

Fine  Arts  Building,   103 
Hull  House  Theatre,  115-119 
Little  Theatre  of   Chicago,   15, 

103-109 

.     Little  Theatres  of,   103   et  seq. 
Workshop     Theatre,      110-114, 

220 

Chicane  (London),  162 
Children,  plays  for,  118,  138,  214 
Children    (Bolton    and    Carlton), 

.38 
Children     of     To-Morrow,     The 

(Moore-Clement),  114 
Children's  Theatre,   Chicago,  118 
Chimes,    The    (McFadden),    132 
Chinese  Lantern,  A    (Housman), 

.  X5r 

Chinese  play,  97 
Chopin,  7 
Chorpenning,   Charlotte  B. 

Between  the  Lines,  192 
Christening     Robe,     The     (Esta- 

brook),  178 
Christian,  Rudolph,  99 
Christmas      fantasy      at     Prairie 

Playhouse,    132 
Christmas  Guest,  The  (Mackay), 

118 
Christmas     Mystery     Play,     106- 

107,  109 

Christodora  House,  39,  40 
Chynoweth,  Phillips 
Orange  Blossom,  146 


Cincinnati,  167 

City  Hall  Central  (Brand),  146 

Civilization   (E.  Cook),  113 

Cleaning  house,  206 

Cleft  Club  Singing  Orchestra,  70 

Cleveland  Playhouse,   153-155 

Clinton  Hall,  56 

Clique  Theatre,  172 

Cloak    of    Dionysus    (Smith    and 

Viehman),   204 
Clod,  The   (Beach),  33,  38 
Coburn,  Eleanor  H.  A. 

Molly  Make-Believe,  191 
Cocaine  (King),  52,  53 
Cohan,   G.  M. 

Broadway  Jones,  247 
Colleagues   (Libin),  63 
College  girls,  93 
Color,  u,  12,  107 
Colum,  Padraic,  202 

Betrayal,  The,  175,   176,  203 
Columbia  University,  71,  181 
Columbine    (Arkell),   108 
Comedy     Club.       See     Amateur 

Comedy  Club 

Comedy  Theatre,  New  York,  34,35 
Commercialism,  i,  3,  14,  233 
Commins,   Saxe 

Obituary,  The,  53 
Community  Players  of  Montclair, 

N.  J.,  89 
Community  theatres,  81,  82,   122, 

211 

Comus  (Milton),  102 
Connecticut  Valley,  93 
Conroy,  Frank,  73 
Conscience   (Taft),  158 
Constant   Lover,    The    (Hankin), 

108,  151,.  152 

Contemporaries  (Steele),  175,  176 
Contrast,  The   (Tyler),  102 
Convex  Mirror  Theatre  of  Petro- 

grad,  7 

Con  Way,  W.  O.,  163 
Cook,  Elisha 

Civilization,  113 

No  Sabe,  114 

Skeletons  Out  of  the  Closet,  114 
Cook,  G.  C.,  and  Susan  Glaspell 

Suppressed  Desires,  52,  53,  98, 
152,  163,  174,  '75,  176,  178 


.254 


INDEX 


Copeau,  Jacques,  226 
Theatre    du    Vieux    Colombier, 

13,  H 

Copenhagen,  13 
Coppee,  Frangois 
Paternoster,  142 
Violin  Maker  of  Cremona,  The, 

203 

Coquelin,   5 

Cordova,  Rienzi  de.    See  Gersten- 
berg,    Alice,    and    Rienzi    de 
Cordova 
Corse,  Mary 

Magnet,  The,  114 
Cosmopolitanism,    175 
Cost  of  maintenance,  217-222 
Costumes,  43,  49,  190,  200 
Cottage  in  the  Air,  The   (Knob- 
lauch), 230 

Counsel  Retained   (Mackay),  179 
Country  problem  plays,  212 
Country   theatres,    209-215 
Court  Favor   (Kimball),  191 
Courteline,     Georges,     and    Bea- 
trice de  Holthoir 
Private  Account,  A,  38 
Cracow,  Little  Theatre,  6,  7 
Crafton,  J.  A.,  126,  127,  128,  130, 

132 

Stranger  Star,  The,  133 
Crafton,   J.    A.,    Abby   Merchant, 
and  Mark  Reed 

Sea  Pride,  132 
Craig,  Gordon,  4,  150,  151,  161 

Screens,   6 

Craig  prize,   184,   192 
Creditors    (Strindberg),   108 
Crier  by  Night   (Bottomly),  44 
Criley,  T.  M.,  164 
Crispin  (Le  Sage),  82 
Critic,  The   (Sheridan),  77 
Criticisms,  96 

Suggestions   for,    187 
Croker,  Bosworth 

Last  Straw,  The,  38 
Crowell,  R.   S. 

Valley,  The,  146 
"  Cube  screens,"  150 
Curtain  calls,  144 

Dad  (Parry),  132,  162 


Dancing  Dolls  (K.  S.  Goodman), 

203 
Dargan,  Olive  T. 

Shepherd,  The,  56,  60 
Dark  Lady   of  the  Sonnets,   The 

(Shaw),   142,   162 
Darling   of  the   Gods,   The    (Be- 

lasco),  .247 
Dartmouth  Dramatic  Association, 

193,  i97 
Dartmouth    Laboratory    Theatre, 

193 

Plays,   196 
Policy,   193-195 
Popular  shows,  197 
Seating  and  prices,  195 
Women's  parts,  197-198 

Daughter  of  Heaven,  The,  231 

Davenport,  Butler,  26 

David,    Chayim,    64 

David,   King,    65 

Davis,  R.  H. 
Miss  Civilization,  212 

Dawn   (P.  Wilde),  88,  162,  166 

Dead  Soul   (Simons),  146 

Dean,  Basil,  9 

Dear  Departed,  The  (Houghton), 

133,  142 

Death — A  Discussion  (Wood- 
ruff), 132 

Death  of  Tintagiles,  The  (Mae- 
terlinck), 38 

Debussy,   60,   102 

Decorative  drama,  n,  12 

Degree  for  dramatic  work,  199 

Dell,  Floyd 

King  Arthur's  Socks,  53 
Long  Time  Ago,  A,  53 

Delphine  Declines  (Merrick),  108 

Deluded  Dragon,  The  (Edger- 
ton  and  Van  Colkenburg), 
109 

Denver,    Colo.,   243 

Detroit 

Arts  and  Crafts  Society,  147 
Arts  and   Crafts  Theatre,   147- 
152 

Deutsches  Theatre,  Berlin,  n 

Devil's  Disciple,  The  (Shaw), 
119,  248 

Devonshire  Players,  9 


INDEX 


255 


Dickey,     Paul.       See     Goddard, 

Charles,  and  Paul  Dickey 
Dickinson,  T.  H.,  144 

In  Hospital,  146 

Discontented  Daffodils,   The,  59 
Dix,  Beulah  M.,  102 
Dobson,  Austin,  215 
Doctor      in      Spite      of     Himself 

(Moliere),   149,   152,   178 
Doctor's  Dilemma,   The    (Shaw), 

102,  232 

Dohner,  Donald,  162 
Dollar,  The   (Pinski),  53 
Dolly  Reforming  Herself  (Jones), 

1 02 

Don  (Besier),  229,  230,  248 
Don     Pietro     Caruso      (Bracco), 

137 
Dorrian,  Cecil 

Age  of  Reason,  The,  38 
Double  Miracle,  The  (Garland), 

176 

Down,  Oliphant 
Maker  of  Dreams,  60,  98,  108, 

142,  176 

Dowson,   Ernest,  93 
Pierrot   of  the  Minute,  86,  97, 

98,  124,  132 
Doyle,  Conan 

Speckled  Band,  196 
Drama 

Children  and,  118 
Clearing   house,   206 
Love  of,  94 
Power,   127 
Promoting,   135 
Static,   122 
Drama   League,    84,   86,   91,    129, 

139,  140,  160,  179 
Drama  League  Players  of  Buffalo, 

74-75 

Drama  League  Players  of  Wash- 
ington,  D.   C,   177-178 
Drama  Quarterly,  144 
Dramatic  clubs,  181 
Draped  stage,  140,  221 
Dregs   (Hecht),   113 
Dreiser,   Theodore,   161 
Laughing  Gas,  161,  163 
Plays   of  the  Natural  and  the 
Supernatural,  161 


Drone,  The  (Mayne),  119 
Drums  of  Oudh   (Strong),  78 
Dublin  Castle,  117 
Dublin,  National  Theatre,  202 
Dudley,  Robert,  163 
Duluth,   Minn. 

Little  Theatre,   139-142 
Dunsany,  Lord,   100,  149 

Glittering  Gate,  28,  58,  60,  90, 

129,   132,   142,   151,   162 
Gods  of  the  Mountain,  The,  43 
Golden  Doom,  The,  43,  78 
King   Argimines   and    the    Un- 
known Warrior,  43 
Lost  Silk  Hat,  The,  90,  108,  142, 

151,    163 
Night  at  an  Inn,  A,  58,  59,  60, 

196 

Queen's  Enemies,  The,  59,  60 
Tents   of  the  Arabs,   102,   151, 

203,  206 

Duse,    Eleanora,    5 
Dust  of  the  Road   (K.  S.  Good- 
man),   146 

Duty  (O'Brien),  88,  163 
Dwelling-house  Theatre,  121 
Dymow,   Ossip 
Nju,  156,   157,  158 

Early  Morning   (Perez),  60 
Earth,  The  (Pagan),  243 
East  Broadway,  63 
East  Side,  63,  66 
East-West-Players,  61-66 
Eaton,  W.  P.,  247 
Echegaray 

Great  Galleoto,  The,  248 
Economies,  221 
Edge   of   the    World,    The    (Gil- 

mer),  132 
Edgerton,  Harriet,  and  Ellen  Van 

Colkenburg 

Deluded  Dragon,  The,  109 
Edison,   Charles,  244 
Educated    (Winnek),   191 
Educational  Alliance  Auditorium, 

63 

Edwards,  Charles,  164 
Egan,   F.   C. 

Play  in  One  Word,  A,  88 
Elijah,  64 


256 


INDEX 


Eliot,  S.  A.,  Jr.,  159,  162 

Polyxena,  162 

Elizabethan    Stage    Society,    Lon- 
don, 202 

Ellis,  Mrs.  Havelock 
Mothers,  The,  108 
Pixy,  The,  108 
Subjection  of  Keziah,  The,  58, 

60,   1 08 

Ellsner,  Edward,  206 
Elysee  des  Beaux  Arts,  2,  3 
Enemies    (Boyce    and    Hapgood), 

53 
Enemy  of  the  People,  An  (Ibsen), 

60,  212 

Engaged  (Gilbert),  77,  115,  119 
England,  Little  Theatre   in,  7   et 

seq. 

English  47,    183 
Erie,  Penn.,   166 
Ervine,    St.   John,    115 
Jane  Clegg,  178 
Magnanimous  Lover,  119 
Mixed  Marriage,  119 
Estabrook,  Anne  L. 

Christening  Robe,   The,  178 
Estoc,  Pol  d'.     See  Valcross,  W., 

and  Pol  d'Estoc 
Ettlinger,  Karl 

Altruism,  32,  35,  38 
Eugenically      Speaking       (Good- 
man), 29,  37,  132 
Euripides 
Hecuba,  162 
Iphigenia  in  Tauris,  203 
Medea,  108 
Trojan   Women,    The,   105-106, 

1 08 

Everyman    (Sterling),  156,  158 
Evrienof,   Nicholas 

Merry    Death,    The,    38,    173, 

176 
Theatre  of  the  Soul,  The,  149, 

176 

Ewing,  Margaret 
Reflections,  137 

Experimental  theatres,  103,  no 
Experimentation,   i,  2,  3,  4 

Reinhardt's,   n 

Extreme    Unction     (Aldis),     123, 
125 


Eye  for  an  Eye,  An  (Cariagiale), 

137 
Eyvind  of  the   Hills    (Sigurjons- 

son),  190,  192 
Rehearsal     scene     (ill.),     opp. 

190 

Fabre,  Camille,  3 
Pagan,  J.  D. 

Earth,  The,  234 
Faguet,   Emile,   3 
Failures,   243-244 
Fairbanks,   S.  W. 

Other  Voice,  The,  125,  192 
Faith  Healer,  The   (Moody),  178 
Falk,  August,  13 
Fan    and    Two    Candlesticks,    A 

(MacMillan),  43 

Fancy  Free    (Houghton),   86,   142 
Far- A  way  Princess,  The   (Suder- 

mann),  142 

Fargo,  N.  Dak.,  211-212 
Farm  morality  play,  213 
Fauchois 

Beethoven,  231 
Feast     of     the     Holy     Innocents 

(Ilsley),  146 
Fenn,     Frederick,     and     Richard 

Pryce 
'Op-o'-Me-Thumb,      102,      142, 

212 
Fernald,  C.  B. 

Married  Woman,  The,  60 
Festivals     at    the     Neighborhood 

Playhouse,   57-59 
Feuillet,  Octave,  29 
Village,  The,  124 
Fifth          Commandment,          The 

(Houghton),    108 
Finch  School,  206 
Finger  of  God,  The  (P.  Wilde), 

146 

Fire  and  Water  (White),  38 
Fires   of  St.   John,    The    (Suder- 

mann),  60 
Fitch,   Clyde 

Captain  Jinks,  247 
Flame  Man,  The  (Walker),  44 
Flexner,   Hortense 
Broken  God,  The,  162 
Voices,  44 


INDEX 


257 


Florist  Shop,  The  (Hawkbridge), 

84,  162 
Foerster,    Meyer 

Old  Heidelberg,  230 
Fog  (O'Neill),  53 
Folk  Theatre,   117 
Foote,  Samuel 

Liar,   The,  119 
Forbes-Robertson,     Sir     Johnston, 

247 
Forbidden  Fruit   (Smith),  29,  31, 

38 

"Foreign  Policy,"  94 
Four    Flushers,    The    (Kinkead), 

124 

France,  Anatole 
Man    Who    Married    a    Dumb 

Wife,  The,  232 
France,    Little    Theatre    in,    2    et 

seq. 

Frank,   Florence  K. 
Jael,  108 

Return  of  Proserpine,  The,  158 
Free  Folk  Stage  of  Germany,  244 
Free  Theatre,  92,  93,  96,  244 
Freedom    (Reed),   53 
Freybe,  Carl 

Leave  of  Absence,  196 
Frog  Prince,  The,  118 
Fuchs,  George,  12 

Gale,  Mrs.  Lyman,  15 

Gale,  Zona 

Neighbors,    The,    84,    85,    119, 
145,   146,   202,  204 

Galesburg,   111. 

Drama  League  Center,  129 
Little    Theatre,    126-133 
Prairie  Players,   128,  220 
Prairie    Playhouse    (ill.),    opp. 

126 

White  House,  127 
White  House  Saloon  (ill.),  opp. 
126 

Galsworthy,  John,  93,   115 
Joy,  137 

Justice,   1 1 8,    119 
Little  Man,  The,  98 
Pigeon,  The,  119,  129,  132 
Silver  Box,  The,  56,  60,  119 
Strife,  230 


Game,  The  (Bryant),  53 
Game  of  Chess,  The  (K.  S.  Good- 
man), 162 

Gammer  Gurton's  Needle,  43 
Gaol  Gate,  The  (Lady  Gregory), 

206 

Garden  of  Allah,  The,  231,  237 
Garden  Theatre,  New  York,   64, 

69 
Garland,  Hamlin 

Branch  Road,  A,  146 
Garland,  Robert 

At  Night  All  Cats  Are  Gray, 
82 

Double  Miracle,   The,   176 
George,  Grace,  236 

Repertory  season,  234-235 
German  companies,  226 
Germany,   244 

Little  Theatre  in,  10  et  seq. 
Gerstenberg,  Alice 

Alice  in   Wonderland,  in 

Overtones,  33,  38,  in,  162 

Pot-Boiler,  The,  114,  206 
Gerstenberg,    Alice,    and    Rienzi 
de   Cordova 

War  Game,  The,  113 
Ghosts  (Ibsen),  38,  60 
Giacosa 

Sacred  Ground,  125 
Gibson,  Wilfred  W. 

Womenkind,  60,  108 
Gift  of  the  Fairies,  The,  60 
Gilbert,  W.  S. 

Engaged,  77,  115,  119 

Palace  of  Truth,  The,  119 

Pygmalion  and  Galatea,  119 

Sweethearts,  68,  77 
Gillette,  Wm. 

All  the  Comforts  of  a  Home,  77 

Held  by  the  Enemy,  77 

Sherlock  Holmes,  247 
Gilmer,  A.  H. 

Edge  of  the  World,  The,  132 
Gilmore,  W.  H.,  206 
Girl   of   the   Golden    West,    The 

(Belasco),  247 

Glasgow  Literary  Theatre,  9 
Glaspell,    Susan,    52 

People,  The,  53,  149,  178 

Trifles,  32,  35,  38,  152 


258 


INDEX 


See  also  Cook,  G.  C.,  and  Susan 

Glaspell 
Glittering  Gate  (Lord  Dunsany), 

28,   58,  60,  90,   129,   132,  142, 

151,   162 

Scene   (ill.),  °PP-  *74 
Glory  of  the  Morning  (Leonard), 

145,   146,  204 
Goddard,      Charles,      and     Paul 

Dickey 

Man  from  the  Sea,  The,  196 
Gods     of     the     Mountain,     The 

(Dunsany),  43,   77 
Goethe,  n 

Golden  Apple,  The  (Lady  Greg- 
ory), 137 
Golden   Doom,    The    (Dunsany), 

43,  78 

Scene  (ill.),  opp.  44 
Golden   Goose,   The,  83,   118 
Good  Woman,  A   (Bennett),  87 
Good  Woman,  The  (Middleton), 

98 

Goodman,   Edward,   36 
Eugenically    Speaking,    29,    37, 

132 
Saviors,  29,  31,  38 

Goodman,  James  F. 
Bully,  The,  165 

Goodman,  Jules  Eckert,  183 

Goodman,  K.  S.,  in 
Dancing  Dolls,  203 
Dust  of  the  Road,  146 
Game  of  Chess,  The,  162 
Man  Can  Only  Do  His  Best,  At 

"3 

Red  Flag,  The,  113 
See  also  Hecht,  Ben,  and  K.  S. 

Goodman 

Goodman,  K.  S.,  and  Ben  Hecht 
Hero  of  Santa  Maria,  The,  38, 

"3 

Poem  of  David,  The,  117 
Goodman,    K.    S.,     and    T.    W. 

Stevens 

Ryland,  60,  173,  176 
Goose-Girl,  The,  60 
Gooseherd  and  the   Goblin,   The 

(Mackay),    118 
Gorky,  Maxim 
Lower  Depths,  6 


Grand   Street,   New  York,   54 
Neighborhood  Playhouse   (ill.), 

opp.   56. 

Grande  Guinol,   Paris,   13 
Grania    and    Dervogillia    (Lady 

Gregory),  119 
Granich,    Irwin 

Ivan's  Home-Coming,  53 
Granny  Maumee    (Torrence),   69 
Great  Catherine   (Shaw),  59,  60, 

116,   119 
Great  Divide,  The  (Moody),  134, 

247 
Great      Galleoto,      The      (Eche- 

garay),  248 
Greater  Than  the  La<w  (Moffat), 

78 

Greek  Masque,  204 
Green    Coat,    The    (Musset    and 

Augier),   142 

Greenwich  Village  Players,   52 
Greenwich  Village  Theatre 
Playhouse  (with  ill.),  73-74 
Prospectus,  75 
Greet,  Ben,  158 
Gregory,   Lady,  4,   102,   118,   142, 

161,   196,  247 
Gaol  Gate,  The,  206 
Golden  Apple,  The,  137 
Grania  and  Dervogillia,  119 
Rising  of  the  Moon,  119,  163 
Spreading  the  News,  119,   142, 

163 

Traveling  Man,  The,  211 
Workhouse  Ward,  The,  88,  119, 

142,  196,  2ii 
Grein,  J.  T.,  221 

Independent    Theatre    in    Lon- 
don, 7 

Griffes,  C.  T.,  60 
Griswold,   Grace,  205,  206 
Groove, .The   (Middleton),   162 
Grundy,   Sydney,   102 
Guest  directors,  202 

Hagedorn,  Hermann,  230 
Hambridge,  Ruth,  81 
Hamilton,    Clayton,   72,   247 

Quoted,   97 
Hamlen,  J.   C. 

Waldies,  The,  60 


INDEX 


259 


Hamlet    (Shakespeare),    6,    223, 

247 
Hankin,  St.  John,  100,  149 

Constant  Lover,  The,  108,  151, 

152 

Hanover,  N.  H.,  197 
Hapgood,  Emilie,  69 
Hapgood,    Hutchins.     See  Boyce, 
Neith,     and    Hutchins    Hap- 
good 
Happy     Prince,     The     (Wilde), 

108 
Harcourt,  Cyril 

Pair  of  Silk  Stockings,  A,  25 
Hardy,  Thomas,  9 
Harlequin     Players     of     Kansas 

City,  Kan.,  164-165 
Harles,  Victor,  138 
Harrison,   Bertram,   246,   248 
Hart,   Howard,  214 
Harvard     Dramatic     Club,      95, 

184 

Harvard  Dramatic  Library,  184 
Harvard    47    Workshop    Theatre 

Character,   183,   184 

Criticisms,    187 

Method,   185-188 

Origin,  183,  185 

Plays  produced,  191-192 

Policy  and  plays,  189-190 

Rehearsal     of    Eyvind    of    the 
Hills  (ill.) i  OPP-  I9° 

Scenery,  etc.,  150,  190 

Summer  course,  185,  191 
Harvard  University,  181 

Laboratory  Theatre,    183-192 
Hastings,  MacDonald 

New  Sin,  The,  196 
Haunted  Chamber,  The(O'Toole), 

207  ^ 
Hawkbridge,   Winifred 

At  Slovsky's,  84,  132 

Florist  Shop,  The,  84,  132,  162 

Price  of  Orchids,  The,  165 
Haynes,  Mirma  G.,  206 
Hazel  Kirke    (Mackaye),   119 
He  and  She  (Perez),  63 
Hecht,  Ben,  in 

Dregs,  113 

See  also  Goodman,  K.  S.,  and 
Ben  Hecht 


Hecht,  Ben,  and  Maxwell  Boden- 

heim 

Mrs.  Margaret  Calhoun,  114 
Hecht,  Ben,  and  K.  S.  Goodman 
Home-Coming,  The,  113,  149 
Idyll  of  the  Shops,  An,  113 
Wonder  Hat,   The,  113 
Hecuba   (Euripides),  162 
Hedda   Gabler    (Ibsen),    108 
Held    by    the   Enemy    (Gillette), 

77 
Helena's  Husband  (Moeller),  33, 

38,  142,  150,  152,  165 
Henderson,  W.  J.,  230 
Henry  Street  Settlement,  55,  56 
Her  Husband's   Wife    (Thomas), 

132,    142 
Her  Sacred  Duty  (Banning),  141, 

142 
Herne,  J.  A. 

Shore  Acres,  247 
Hero     of     Santa     Maria,     The, 

(Goodman    and   Hecht),    38, 

113 

Hiawatha,  56,  59 
Hichens,   R.   S.,   and   C.   G.  Len- 
nox 

Vanity  Fair,  231 
Hirshbein,  Perez,  65 

Stranger,  The,  63,  64,  65 
His  Majesty  the  Fool  (Andrews), 

100 

His  Women  Folk  (Merchant),  191 
Hofmansthal,  Hugo  von,  n 
Hollis,  Me.,  215 
Holly    and    Mistletoe     (Pember- 

ton),    142 

Holte,  Strindberg's  project  at,  13 
Holthoir,  Beatrice  de.     See  Cour- 

teline,  Georges,  and  Beatrice 

de  Holthoir 
Home-Coming,    The    (Hecht    and 

Goodman),  113,  149 
Home   Sweet   Home    (Robinson), 

190,  191 
Honorable  Lover,  The   (Bracco), 

38 

Hope,   Anthony 
Philosopher      of      the      Apple 

Orchard,  142 
"  Horizont,"  55,  150 


260 


INDEX 


Horniman,  Miss,  8,  9 
Houghton,    Stanley,    102 

Dear  Departed,  The,  133,  142 

Fancy  Free,  86,  142 

Fifth   Commandment,   The,   108 

Master  of  the  House,  The,  142 
Hour  Glass,  The  (Yeats),  145 
House    Next    Door,    The    (Man- 
ners), 102 
House  of  Cards,  A    (P.  Wilde), 

82,  88,  166 
Housman,   Laurence 

Chinese  Lantern,  A,  151 
Housman,    Laurence,    and    Gran- 
ville   Barker 

Prunella,  25,  118 
How  He  Lied   to   Her  Husband 

(Shaw),   77,   119,   142,   162 
How  Very  Shocking  (Thompson), 

114 
Howard,  Bronson 

Old  Letters,  119 

One  of  Our  Girls,  77 
Hubbard,  Louise 

Lullaby,  The,  114 
Hubert,  Jean,  149 
Hudson,  Holland 

Shepherd  in  the  Distance,  The, 

29,  38,  165 
Hull   House  Players,   103 

Finances,    117 

Organization,  116 

Plays,   117,   118 

Repertory,   119 

Reputation   and   tours,   117 
Hull  House  Theatre,  54,  103 

Activities,  118,  119 

Auditorium    (ill.),  opP-   *o6 

Character,    115 

Children,    118 

Hume,    Sam,    147,    148,    150,    151, 
167 

Romance  of  the  Rose,  The,  152, 

189,  191 
Humperdinck,  Engelhart,  60 

Ibsen,  4,  n,  100,  115 
Brand,  230 
Enemy  of  the  Peoplet  Ant  60, 

212 

Ghosts,  38,  60 


Hedda  Gabler,  to8 
John  Gajbriel  Borkman,  60 
Pillars  of  Society,  119 
Rosmersholm,  108 
Icelandic  Folk  Play,  212 
Icelandic   play,    190,    192 
Ideal    Husband,     The     (Wilde), 

1 02 
Idyll  of  the  Shops,  An  (Hecht  and 

Goodman),  113 
Illinois  life,   130 
Ilsley,   Marshal 

Feast  of  the  Holy  Innocents,  146 
In  a  Vestibule,  146 
Immigration,  66 
Impertinence  of  the  Creature,  The 

(Lennox),  142 
Importance  of  Being  Earnest,  The 

(Wilde),    80,    119,    163,    204, 

248 

In  a  Balcony  (Browning),  206 
In  a  Vestibule  (Ilsley),  146 
In  April  (Stokes),  31,  38 
In  for  Himself  (Reed),  191 
In  Hospital  (Dickinson),  146 
In  the  Pasha's  Garden  (F.  Shaw), 

124 

In  the  Vanguard  (Trask),  247 
Inca  of  Perusalem,  59,  60 
Independent  Theatre,  London,   7, 

221 

Indiana   life,   161 
Indianapolis,  Little  Theatre,  159- 

163 
Infanta's  Birthday,  The  (Wilde), 

See  Birthday   of  the  Infanta 
Interior     (Maeterlinck),    28,    29, 

37 

Interludes,  44 
Intimate    Theatre    at    Stockholm, 

13,  26 
Intruder,      The       (Maeterlinck), 

152,  196 
Iphigenia  in  Tauris   (Euripides), 

203 

Irish  Dramatists,  4 
Irish    Players,    8,    9,    14,    19,    62, 

93,  117,  188 
Irish  Plays,   118,  202 
Iron    Crosst    The    (Reizenstein), 

71 


INDEX 


261 


Irving,  Henry,  5,  224 

Irving  Place  Theatre,  New  York, 

99,  226 

//  Pays  to  Advertise,  247 
Itow,  Michio,   34 
Ivan's       Home-Coming        (Gra- 

nich),   53 
Ivon    the    Daring     (McDonald), 

191 

Izumo,  Takeda 
Bushido,  32,  34,  36,  38 

Jacobs,  W.  W. 

Monkey's  Paw,  The,  142 
Jael    (Frank),   108 
James  and  John   (Canaan),  196 
Jane  Clegg   (Ervine),  178 
Janssen,  Weirs 

Witch,  The,  230 
Japan,  32,  43,  241,  242 
Jay,  Beulah   E.,   99 
Jephtha's    Daughter,    57,    58,    59 
Jerome,  J.  K. 

Maister  of  Woodbarrow,  77 
Jewel  Bow,  The,  60 
Jewish  life,  63-67 
Jewish  players,  61 
Jewish  plays  and  festivals  at  the 
Neighborhood  Playhouse,   57, 
58 
John    Gabriel   Borkman    (Ibsen), 

60 

Johnson,  C.  R.,  105,  107,  121 
Johnson,  Martyn 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  P.  Roe,  108,  117 
Johnson,  Rosamond,  70 
Joined  Together   (Nordfeldt),   53 
Joint  Owners  in  Spain   (Brown), 

108 
Jones,  H.  A.,  100 

Dolly  Reforming  Herself,  102 

Liars,  The,  234 

Jones,  R.  E.,  28,  47,  69,  195,  232 
Jonson,  Ben 

Sad  Shepherd,  115,  119 
Jordan   Hall,  Boston,   190 
Joy    (Galsworthy),   137 
Just  Livin*   (Sherry),   146 
Justice  (Galsworthy),  n8,  119 

Kahn,  O.  H.,  231 


Kairn  of  Koridwen,  The,  57,  60 
Kammerspielhaus,  Berlin,  n 
Kansas  City,  164-165 
Kansas  life,   165 
Kay  at   (Bond),  87 
Kemp,  Harry 

Prodigal  Son,  The,  53 
Kennedy,  C.  R. 

Terrible  Meek,  The,  132 
Kensal,   N.   Dak.,   213 
Kenyon,  Clark,  115 

Kindling,    118,    119 
Kerry  (Boucicault),  119 
Ketchup  curtain,  79,  80 
Killing  Triangle,  A   (anon.),  162 
Kimball,  Astrid 

Court  Favor,  191 
Kindling   (Kenyon),  n8,  119 
King,  Pendleton 

Cocaine,  52,  53 

King  Argimines  and  the  Un- 
known Warrior  (Dunsany), 
43 

King  Arthur's  Socks   (Dell),  53 
King  of  Camarand,  83 
King    of    the    Black    Isles,    The 

(Yarrow),   100 
King  of  the  Jews  (Browne),  105, 

107 
Kingston,  Gertrude,  55,  56,  59 

Little  Theatre,  London,   10,  26 
Kinkead,   Cleaves,   183 

Four  Plus  hers,  The,  124 
Kinne,  I.  B. 

As  You  Do  It,  146 
Kisses  of  Marjorie,   The   (Tark- 

ington),  162 
Knickerbocker    Theatre   building, 

New  York,  205 
Knoblauch,    Edward,    183 

Cottage  in  the  Air,  230 

My  Lady's  Dress,  247 

See  also  Bennett,  Arnold,   and 

Edward   Knoblauch 
Kommisarzhevsky,  Vyera,  7 
Kreymbourg,   Alfred 

Lima  Beans,  53 

Laboratory  Theatre  of  the   Car- 
negie  Institute   at  Pittsburgh 
Acting,  199,  201,  203 


262 


INDEX 


Auditorium  (ill.),  opp.  218 

Plays  produced,  202-204 

Stage  and  scenery,  199-200 

Work   and   degree,   199 
Laboratory  theatres,   181-182 

Harvard,  183-192 
Laceby,  E.  W.,  139 
Lady  of  the  Weeping  Willow 

Tree   (Walker),  43 
Lady  Patricia   (Besier),  178 
Lady  Winder  mere's  Fan  (Wilde), 

88 

Lake  Forest,   111.,   121 
Lake  Forest  Players,  122-125 
Lake   Forest  Playhouse,    121-125 
Land     of    Heart's    Desire,     The 

(Yeats),  203 
Lange,  J.  W. 

Prairie   Wolf,   The,  212 
Langner,   Lawrence 

Another  Way  Out,  32,  35,  38 

See  also   Meyer,  Josephine  A., 

and  Lawrence  Langner 
Larsen,  C.  P.,  112,  116 
Last  Straw,  The  (Crocker),  38 
Last     Visit,     The     (Sudermann), 

142 

Laughing     Gas     (Dreiser),     161, 
163 

Scene    (ill.),  opp.  212 
Lawrence,   Basil 

Licensed,  28,  29,  37 
Lawrence,  H.  D. 

Mrs.  Holy  rod,  158 
Leader,  The   (O'Connor),  178 
Leadin'    Road    to    Donegal,    The 

(MacManus),    119 
Learned  Ladies,   The    (Moliere), 

102,  248 

Leave  of  Absence  (Freybe),  196 
Lee,  Charles 

Mr.   Sampson,   119 
Lemaitre,  Jules 

Prophecy,  2 

Lemoyne,   Sarah  C.,   55 
Lennox,  C.  G. 

Impertinence    of   the    Creature, 
The,  142 

See  also  Hichens,  R.  S.,  and  C. 

G.   Lennox 
Lenox  Theatre,  New  York,  206 


Leonard,  W.  E.,  144 

Glory  of  the  Morning,  145,  146, 

204 

Leonore  (Bjornson),  211 
Le  Sage 

Crispin,  82 
Lewisohn,  Alice,   54 
Lewisohn,  Irene,  54 
Liar,  The   (Foote),  119 
Liars,  The  (Jones),  234 
Libin,  Zalmon 

Colleagues,  63 

Licensed   (Lawrence),  28,  29,   37 
Lieberman,  Elias,  64 
Lieberman,     Elias.       See     Blum, 

Gustav,    and    Elias    Lieber- 
man 
Life  of  Man,  The  (Andreyeff),  38 

Scene    (ill.),   Frontispiece 
Light  of  Decency,  The  (Mercein), 

146 

Lillien,  63 

Lima  Beans  (Kreymbourg),  53 
Lina  Amuses  Herself  (Merrill), 

191 

Lind,  Jenny,  92 
Literary  theatres  in  Glasgow  and 

Liverpool,   9 

Literature   (Schnitzler),  38 
Lithuania   (Brooke),  98,  102,  163 
Little  Art  Theatre  of  California, 

156-158 
Little  Country  Theatre  of  Fargo, 

N.  Dak.,  211-212 
Scene   from   The  Prairie   Wolf 

(ill.),   opp.  212 

Little  Country  Theatres,  209-215 
Little  King,  The  (Bynner),  196 
Little  Man,  The  (Galsworthy), 

98 
Little    Minister,     The     (Barrie), 

248 

Little   Plainfield   Theatre,   214 
Little  Playhouse  of  St.  Louis,  134- 

138 
Little    Rural    Theatre    groups    of 

England,  9 
Little    Stone    House,    The     (Cal- 

deron),    102 
Little     Theatre     of     Brookville, 

Penn.,  166 


INDEX 


263 


Little  Theatre  of  Chicago 

Description,   104 

Foundation,    103 

Plays    and    players,    105 

Repertory,  108-109 

Scene  from  The  Sermon  on  the 
Mount   (ill.)j  opp.  106 

Scenery,   costumes,    107 

Trojan  Women,  105-107 
Little    Theatre    of    Duluth,    139- 

142 

Little  Theatre  of  Erie,  Penn.,  166 
Little    Theatre    of    Indianapolis, 
159-163 

Scene      from      Laughing      Gas 

(ill.),  opp.  212 
Little    Theatre    of    Kansas    City, 

Kan.,  164-165 
Little    Theatre    of    Los    Angeles, 

156-158 
Little    Theatre    of    Minneapolis, 

167 
Little    Theatre    of    Philadelphia, 

99-100 
Little  Theatres 

Character   and    number   in   the 
United  States,  15 

Characteristic,  i 

Contribution  to  the  drama,  4 

Cost  of  maintaining,  217-222 

Failures,  243-244 

Ideal,  5 

Inception,   2 

List  in  United  States,  22-23 

New  York  City,  25   et  seq. 

Repertory  systems  and,  236 

Rise,  i  et  seq. 

Types  in  the  United  States,  16 
Little  Thimble  Theatre,  244 
Littmann  theatres,  12 
Liverpool,  Dean's  Literary  Thea- 
tre, 9 

Liz,  the  Mother  (anon.),  230 
Locke,  W.  J. 

Morals  of  Marcus,  The,  248 
Locked   Chest,    The    (Masefield), 

88 

Locker,  Robert,  29 
London 

Afternoon   Theatre,   10 

Independent  Theatre,  7 


Kingston's     (Gertrude)     Little 

Theatre,  10,  26 
London,  Jack 

Chicane,  162 
London    Assurance    (Boucicault), 

77 
Lonesome   Like    (Brighouse),    60, 

142,  152 

Long  run  system,  224-225 
Long  Time  Ago,  A    (Dell),  53 
Los  Angeles 
Little  Theatre,   156-158 
Morosco's  stock  company,  225 
Lost  Silk  Hat,   The    (Lord   Dun- 

sany),  90,   108,   142,   151,   163 
Louisville,  Ky.,   180 
Love    of    One's    Neighbor     (An- 

dreyeff),  37 

Lover's  Luck  (Riche),  38 
Lower  Depths  (Gorky),  6 
Lower  Road,  The  (Mather), 

133 
Lowrey,   Edward 

Victims,  119 

Lullaby,   The    (Hubbard),   114 
Lyman,  E.  H.  R.,  245 

McCallum,  Geo.  B.,  92,  95,  96 
McCallum  Theatre  of  Northamp- 
ton, Mass. 

Admission,   96 

"  Foreign  policy,"  94 

Free,   92,   93 

Location,  92,  95 

Plays   and    settings,   97 

Repertory,    98 
McDonald,  Anna  S.,  58 

Ivon  the  Daring,  191 
Macdougal  Street,  New  York,  47, 

48,   51 

McDowell    Fellowship,    184 
M'Evoy's    Devonshire   Players,    9 
McEwen,    Katherine,    151 
McFadden,   Elizabeth 

Chimes,   The,  132 

Why    the    Chimes    Rang,    189, 

191 
Mackay,   Constance  D'Arcy 

Beau  of  Bath,  The,  142,  179 

Christmas  Guest,  The,  n8 

Counsel  Retained,  179 


264 


INDEX 


Gooseherd  and  the  Goblin,  The, 
118 

Nimble  Wit  and  Fingerkin,  118 
Mackay-Cantell,  Lilia,  59 
Mackaye,   Percy 

Antick,  The,  38 

Sam  Average,  ziz 

Tomorrow,  100 
Mackaye,   Steele 

Hazel  Kirke,  119 
McKinley  County,  N.  Dak.,  213 
MacManus,   Seumas 

Leadin'  Road  to  Donegal,  The, 

119 
MacMillan,  Mary 

Fan  and  Two  Candlesticks,  A, 

43 

Rose,   The,  132 
McNaull   Aletha  V.,   163 
MacNichol,  Kenneth 

Pan,  53 

Madison,  Wis.,  144 
Madison     Square     outdoor     per- 
formance, 40 

Maeterlinck,  Maurice,  n,  93,  100 
Aglavaine  and  Selysette,  38 
Ariane  and  Barbe  Bleu,  149 
Blue  Bird,  6,  229,  230 
Death  of   Tintagiles,   The,  38 
Interior,  28,  29,  37 
Intruder,   The,   152,    196 
Mary  Magdalene,   231 
Miracle  of  St.  Anthony,  29,  31, 

38,  176 
Sister   Beatrice,   223,   229,    230, 

248 
Magical   City,   The    (Akins),   33, 

3.8,  90 

Magistrate,  The   (Pinero),  77 
Magnanimous     Lover     (Ervine), 

119 

Magnet,  The  (Corse),  114 
Maister     of     Woodbarrow     (Je- 
rome),   77 
Maitre  Patelin,  191 
Cf.  Pierre  Patelin 
Major  Barbara   (Shaw),  234 
Maker  of  Dreams,  The   (Down), 

60,  98,  108,  142,  176 
Maleson,  Myles 
Black  'Ell,  58,  60,  176 


Man,  The  (Taft),  114 

Man  Can  Only  Do  His  Best,  A 

(K.  S.  Goodman),  113 
Man  from   the  Sea,   The    (God- 

dard  and  Dickey),  196 
Man  in  the  Stalls  (Sutro),  196 
Man    of    Destiny,    The    (Shaw), 

119 
Man  Who  Married  a  Dumb  Wife, 

The   (France),  232 
Man    Who    Married    the    Moon, 

The    (Markham),    146 
Manacles    (Moderwell),   119 
Manchester  school,  4,  9 
Manchester    players,    8,   9 
Manners,  J.  H. 

House  Next  Door,  The,  102 
Mansfield,  Richard,  5,  224 
Mansfield,  Mrs.  Richard,  247 
Mapes,  Victor,  loi 
March   of   Truth,    The    (Searle), 

133 

Marionette   Club,   Chicago,    118 
Marionette  comedy,   82 
Markham,   Charlotte 

Man   Who  Married  the  Moon, 

The,  146 
Marks,  Jeannette,  9 

Merry     Merry     Cuckoo,     The, 

167 

Welsh   Honeymoon,    167 
Marlowe,  Julia,  95,  224 
Marriage    Has    Been    Arranged, 

A    (Sutro),  87,  206 
Marriage    Proposal,    A     (Tche- 

kpff),  58,  60,  88 
Married  Woman,  The  (Fernald), 

60 

Marse  Covington  (Ade),  119 
Marsh,  Marie  L. 
Sno<w- White,  113 
Tonsils,  114 
Mary  Magdalene   (Maeterlinck), 

231 
Masefield,  John,  115 

Campden  Wonder,  The,  87,  102 
Locked  Chest,  The,  88 
Tragedy    of    Nan,     The,    119, 

178 

Massey,   Dorothea 
Rurales,  Las,  146 


INDEX 


265 


Massey,  Edward 
Plots  and  Playwrights,  34,  38, 

192 
Master      of      the      House,      The 

(Hough  ton),  142 

Master  Pierre  Patelin,   102.     Cf. 
Maitre  Patelin;  Pierre  Pate- 
lin 
Mather,  Charles 

Lower  Road,  The,  133 
Matsuo,  32 

Matthews,   Brander,   72 
Matthison,   Edith  W.,   206,   229 
Mayhew,  Mabel 

Archaeologist     and     the     Lady, 

The,  146 

Mayne,  Rutherford 
Drone,  The,  119 
Red  Turf,  60 
Mazeppa,  223 
Medea    (Euripides),   108 
Mediaeval  theatres,  241-242 
Medicine   Show,    The    (Walker), 

44 
Mencken,  H.  L. 

Artist,  The,  172,  173,  176 
Mercein,   Charles 

Light  of  Decency,  The,  146 
Merchant,  Abby,   126,   128,   129 
His  Women  Folk,  191 
See  also   Crafton,  J.  R.,   Abby 

Merchant,    and   Mark   Reed 
Merrick,  Leonard 

Delphine  Declines,  108 
Merrill,  W.  F. 

Lina  Amuses  Herself,   191 
Merry    Death,    The    (Evrienof), 

38,  173,  176 
Scene    (ilL),  opp.   32 
Merry      Merry       Cuckoo,       The 

(Marks),  167 
Merry   Wives   of   Windsor,   The, 

230 

Meyer,   Josephine   A.,    and   Law- 
rence Langner 
Red  Cloak,  The,  38 
Michaelis 

Son  of  the  People,  A,  231 
Middle  West,  131 
Middleton,   George,   102,  247 
Good  Woman,  The,  98 


Groove,  The,  162 

Tradition,  124,  146 
Midsummer        Night's        Dream 

(Shakespeare),    118,  232 
Milestones    (Bennett    and    Knob- 
lauch), 142,  248 
Miller,  Henry,  quoted,  228 
Milton,  John 

Comus,  1 02 
Milwaukee,    144 
Minneapolis,  167 
Minnesota  University,  167 
Miracle  of  St.  Anthony  (Maeter- 
linck), 29,  31,  38,  176 
Miracle  plays,  102,  149,  162 
Miss  Civilization   (Davis),  212 
Mitchell,  Langdon 

New  York  Idea,  The,  234 
Mixed  Marriage    (Ervine),   119 
Moderwell,  H.  K. 

Manacles,   119 
Moeller,    Philip 

Helena's  Husband,  33,  38,  142, 
150,   152,   165 

Roadhouse  in  Arden,  The,  38 

Sisters  of  Suzanna,  38 

Two   Blind  Beggars   and   One 

Less  Blind,  29,  38 
Moffat,    Cleveland 

Greater  Than  the  Law,  78 
Moliere 

Doctor    in    Spite    of    Himself, 
149,   152,   178 

Learned  Ladies,  The,  102,  248 

Sganarelle,  38 

Tartuffe,  202,  204 
Molly    Make-Believe     (Coburn), 

191 

Monkey's  Paw,  The  (Jacobs),  142 
Montclair,     N.     J.,      Community 

Players,   89 

Monvel,  Boutet  de,  189 
Moody,  W.  V. 

Faith  Healer,   The,  178 

Great  Divide,   The,   133,   247 
Moon  Lady,  The,  42 
Moondown   (Reed),  38,  142 
Moore,  Lou  W.,  108 
Moore-Clement,  Maude 

Children   of   To-morrow,    The, 
114 


266 


INDEX 


Morality  play,  102 

Morals  of  Marcus,  The  (Locke), 

248 

Morgan,  Agnes,   55 
Morley,  Walter 
Blind  Wife,  A,  146 
Rich  Poor  Man,  146 
Morningside  Players,  71-72 
Morosco,  Oliver,  225 
Moscow  Art  Theatre,  5,  6 
Mosher,  J.  C. 
Bored,  53 

Sauce  for  the  Emperor,  53,  88 
Mothers,  The   (Ellis),  108 
Mountain    Pink,    A     (Bates    and 

Barren),  119 
Moving     Picture     Burlesque,     A 

(Carmel),  146 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  P.  Roe  (Johnson), 

108,    117 

Mr.  Sampson    (Lee),   119 
Mrs.   Holyrod    (Lawrence),    158 
Mrs.   Margaret   Calhoun    (Hecht 

and  Bodenheim),  114 
Mrs.  Pat  and  the  Law   (Aldis), 

125 
Much       Ado       About       Nothing 

(Shakespeare),   202,   203 
Munich,    Art   Theatre   of    Fuchs, 

12 
Municipal  theatres,  93,  98 

Northampton,     Mass.,     225-248 

(with  ill.) 
Munro,    Arthur 

Where  But  in  America!,  114 
Musset,  Alfred  de 

Whims,  38 
Musset,    Alfred    de,    and    Emile 

Augier 

Green  Coat,  The,  142 
My   Lady's    Dress    (Knoblauch), 

247 
My  Lady's   Honor    (Pemberton), 

38 
Mystery  plays,   105,   106 

Nathan,    Mrs.    Adele,    172,    173, 

175 

Song  of  Solomon,  The,  172,  176 
National  theatre,   177,  228 
National  Theatre,  Dublin,  202 


Nationalism 

British  theatres,   9 

Irish  Players,  8 
Naturalism,  3,   5,   6 
Negro  Players,  69-70 
Neighborhood    Players    of    New- 
ark, N.  J.,  90 

Neighborhood    Playhouse,    Grand 
Street,  New  York,  54 

Equipment,  55 

Exterior  views    (ill.),  opp.   56 

Great  artists,  56 

Great  one-act  play,  58 

History,  55  et  seq. 

Purpose,  54 

Repertory,   59,   60 

Sociological    aspect,    54 

Yiddish  and  Jewish  plays  and 

festivals,  57,  58 
Neighbors,    The    (Gale),    84,    85, 

119,    145,    146,    202,    204 

Nettie  .(Ade),  196 

Nevertheless   (Walker),  44 

Neville,   Harry,   206 

New  Orleans,  179 

New  Sin,  The  (Hastings),  196 

New    Testament    play,    106,    107, 

109 
New    Theatre,    New    York,    227- 

231 

Exterior    (ill.),  opp.  230 
New  York   (City) 
East-West-Players,   61    et  seq. 
Greenwich  Village  Theatre,  73 

et  seq. 

Little  Theatre  of  W.  Ames,  15 
Little  Theatres,  25  et  seq. 
Little  Theatres,   list,  22 
Neighborhood      Playhouse,      54 

et  seq. 

New  Theatre.     See  that  title 
Portmanteau  Theatre,  39  et  seq. 
Provincetown     Players,     49     et 

seq. 

Theatre  Workshop,  205-207 
Various  companies,   68   et  seq., 

77-78,  243 
Washington  Square  Players,  27 

et  seq. 

New  York  Idea,  The  (Mitchell), 
234 


INDEX 


267 


Newark,     N.     J.,     Neighborhood 

Players,  90 
Newly     Wedded     Couple,     The 

(Bjornson),   211 
Nice  Wanton,  102 
Nicholson,  Meredith,  163 
Nigger,  The  (Sheldon),  30 
Night  (Asch),  63,  64 
Night  at  an  Inn,  A    (Lord  Dun- 

sany),   58,   59,  60,   196 
Night  of  Snow   (Bracco),  38 
Nimble       Wit      and      Fingerkin 

(Mackay),   118 
Nine  O'clock  Theatre,  New  York, 

243 

Nju  (Dymow),  156,  157,  158 
No  plays  in  Japan,  241 
No  Sabe  (E.  Cook),  114 
Noah's  Flood,  102 
Noble  Lord,  The  (P.  Wilde),  88, 

90,  133,  166 

Nobody's  Daughter  (Paston),  230 
Nordfeldt,  B.  J.  O.,  53 

Joined  Together,  53 
North  Dakota,  210,  211,  213 
North  Dakota,  University  of,  211 
Northampton,  Mass. 

Exterior     view     of     Municipal 

Theatre  (ill.),  opp.  246 
McCallum  Theatre,  92-98 
Municipal  theatre,  245-248 
Stock  Company,  93,  225 
Nothing  but  Money  (Champney), 

191 

Noyes,   Alfred,   102,  247 
Rada,   90 

Obituary,   The   (Commins),   53 
O'Brien,  Seumas 

Duty,  88,   163 
O'Connor,  Jeremiah 

Leader,  The,  178 
Officer  666,  247 

Ohio  Agricultural  College,  213 
Old  Heidelberg    (Foerster),  230 
Old  Homestead,  The,  247 
Old  Japan  (Walker),  44 
Old  Letters   (Howard),  119 
Old  Peabody  Pew,  The,  215 
Oliver,  Margaret  S. 

Turtle  Dove,  The,  97 


Oliver,  Olive,  206 
On  Baile's  Strand   (Yeats),  108 
On  the  Pier  (Sherry),  146 
On  Trial  (Reizenstein),  7, 
One-act  plays,  4,  29,  173 

Greatest,   58 

Policy  of  Little  Theatres  in  the 

United  States,  17,  1 8 
One  of  Our  Girls   (Howard),  77 
One  Word  Play,  132 

Cf.  Play  in  One  Word 
O'Neil,  Raymond,   155 
O'Neill,  Eugene,   52 

Before  Breakfast,  52,   53 

Bound  East  for  Cardiff,  52,  53, 
176,  178 

Fog,  53 

Sniper,  The,  53 
O'Neill,  James,  52 
Only  Girl  in  Sight,  The  (Budd), 

191 

Open  Door,  The  (Sutro),  206 
'Op-o'-Me-Thumb       (Fenn      and 

Pryce),  102,  142,  212 
Orange     Blossom      (Chynoweth), 

146 

Orchestra,  144 
Ordynski,   Richard,   157 
Orient,  241,  242 
Orlopp,  Mr.,  162 
Osborne,  W.  H. 

Alibi,   The,  90 
Othello    (Shakespeare),  70 
Other  Dan,  The  (Taft),  1x7 
Other    Voice,    The    (Fairbanks), 

125,  192 
O'Toole,  Felix 

Haunted  Chamber,  The,  207 
Out  of  the  Dark  (Yeuell),  114 
Outdoor  auditorium,  40 
Overtones   (Gerstenberg),  33,  38, 
in,  162 

Pageant    of    the    Shearman    and 

Taylors,  162 
Pair  of  Silk  Stockings,  A    (Har- 

court),  25 
Palace  of  Truth,  The  (Gilbert), 

119 

Palmer,  J.,  102 
Pan  (MacNichol),  53 


268 


INDEX 


Pantaloon    (Barrie),   77 
Pantomimes,    100,    105,    106,    109, 

in,  113,  162,  172,  189 
Paolo   and  Francesca    (Phillips), 

204 

Papa   (Akins),  157,  158 
Paradise  of  America,  92 
Paradise  Road,  92 
Paris,  Little  Theatres  in,  2,  13,  14 
Parker,  Cecil 

Bee  in  a  Drone's  Hive,  A,  212 
Parker,  H.  T.,  quoted,   123 
Parrish,   Maxfield,  41,  214 
Parry,  Maxwell 

Dad,  132,  162 
Passion    play    at    Chicago    Little 

Theatre,  106-107,  109 
Paston,  George 

Nobody's  Daughter,  230 
Paternoster  (Coppee),  142 
Patterson,  J.  M. 

By-Products,  119,  124 
Paul  and  Virginia   (Rorty),  64 
Payne,  B.  I.,  202,  206 
Peabody,  Josephine  P.,   100,   183 

Piper,  The,  118,  229,  230 
Pearn,  Violet 

Wild  Birds,  60 
Pelham,  Laura  D.,  116 
Pemberton,  Max 

Holly  and  Mistletoe,  142 
Pemberton,  Murdock 

My  Lady's  Honor,  38 
Pennington,  Wm.,  34 
People,  The  (Glaspell),  53,  149, 

178 

Peppard,  Ann,  164 
Perez,  Isaac  L. 

After  Burial,  60 

Early  Morning,  60 

He  and  She,  63 

Sisters,  60 

Perkins,  Emily  R.,  101 
Perkins,  Mrs.   Max 

Woodland  Princess,   The,  214 
Petrograd,  Little  Theatres  in,  7 
Petroushka,  sit  59 
Philadelphia 

Little  Theatre  of  Philadelphia, 
99-100 

Plays  and  Players,  101 


Philadelphia    School    of    Design, 

too 
Philanderer,     The     (Shaw),     25, 

108 

Philbrick,  Allen,  121 
Philip,  Adolf,  226 
Phillips,  Stephen 

Paolo  and  Francesca,  204 
Phillpotts,  Eden 

Carrier  Pigeon,   The,  142 
Philosopher  of  the  Apple  Orchard 

(Hope),   142 
Pierre  Patelin,   33,   38,    163,    189, 

198 
Cf.     Maitre     Patelin;     Master 

Pierre  Patelin 
Pierrot  in  the  Clear  of  the  Moon 

(Riggs),   113 
Pierrot  of  the  Minute  (Dowson), 

86,  97,  98,  124,  132 
Pierrot  the  Prodigal,  25 
Pigeon,  The  (Galsworthy),  119, 

129,  132 

Pillars    of    Society    (Ibsen),    119 
Pinero,  A.  W. 

Amazons,  The,  77,  119,  248 
Magistrate,  The,  77 
School-mistress,  The,  119 
Sweet  Lavender,  77 
Thunderbolt,   The,  230 
Trelawney   of  the   Wells,   119, 

248 

Pinski,  David,  52,  65 
Dollar,  The,  53 
Treasure,  65 
Piper,  The   (Peabody),  118,  229, 

230 

Pippa  Passes  (Browning),  60 
Pittsburgh,  167 

Carnegie  Institute  of  Technol- 
ogy, 199 

Laboratory  Theatre  of  Carnegie 
Institute  of  Technology,  199- 
204 

School  of  Design,  199 
Pittsburgh   Gazette   Times,  203 
Pittsfield  Stock  Company,  225 
Pixy,  The  (Ellis),  108 
Plainfield,  N.  H.,  214 

Exterior  view  of  Little  Theatre 
(ill.),  opp.  246 


INDEX 


269 


Play  in  One  Word,  A  (Egan),  88 

Cf.  One  Word  Play 
Players,   status,   19,  20 

See  also  Salaries 
Players'   Producing   Company,   of 

Los  Angeles,  156 

Playhouse   of   Cleveland,    153-155 
Playhouse    of    Lake    Forest,    111., 

121-125 
Playing  with  Fire  (P.  Wilde),  82, 

90 
Plays 

Character  adapted  to  the  Little 

Theatre,  17,  18 
Content,   19 

Plays  and  Players,  101 
Plays  for  Small  Stages    (Aldis), 

in,    124 
PI  ay  writing 

First      University      Course      in 

America,   183 

Method  of  teaching,  184-188 
Playwrights'   Theatre,  47,  49,   51 
Plots,   122,   123 
Plots  and  Playwrights  (Massey), 

34,   38,   192 
Poe,  Lugne,  5 
Poel,   William,   202 
Poem  of  David,   The   (Goodman 

and  Hecht),  117 
Poet  Writes  a  Song,  The   (Sted- 

man),  133 
Poetaster,  202 

Poet's  Heart  (Bodenheim),  114 
Poland,  Little  Theatre  in,  6,  7 
Pollock,  Arthur,  79 
Polly    of    Pogue's    Run    (Bates), 

161,  163 
"Polly's,"  27 
Poly  anna,   233 
Polyxena    (Eliot),   162 
Poor  Fool,   The    (Bahr),  38 
Portland,  Ore.,  167 
Portmanteau   Theatre 
Beginnings,  39,  40 
Interludes,  44 
Personnel,  42 
Programs,  45 
Repertory,  43,  44 
Scene  from  The  Golden  Doom 
(ill.),  opp.  44 


Scenes,  41,  42 

Unpacked    and    set   for    a    per- 
formance   (ill.))  opp«  44 
Post    Office,    The    (Tagore),    98, 

IC2 

Pot  of  Broth,  A    (Yeats),  211 
Pot-Boiler,     The     (Gerstenberg), 

114,  206 

Potato  sacking,  19 
Prairie  Players,   128-132,  220 
Prairie  Playhouse,  126 
Finances,   128-129 
Illinois   life,  130,   131 
Interior  (ill.)»  opp.  126 
Saloon   transformed,    126,    127 
Repertory,    132 
Prairie  Wolf,  The   (Lange),  212 

Scene   (ill.),  opp.  212 
Pretty   Sabine    Women.     See  Sa- 
bine  Women 
Price  of  Coal,  The   (Brighouse), 

58,  60 

Price  of  Orchids,  The  (Hawk- 
bridge),  165 

Prices  of  admission,  28,  34,  40, 
42,  43,  47,  65,  81,  83,  86,  88, 
90,  100,  104,  no,  in,  116, 
128,  136,  140,  145,  148,  160, 
170,  171 

Prince  Street  Players  of  Roches- 
ter, 88 

Princess  Players,  New  York,  243 
Princeton    University,    181 
Private    Account,   A    (Courteline 

and  Holthoir),   38 
Private  theatricals,  20,  21 
Prizes,   130,   141,   149 

Craig,  184,  192 

Prodigal  Doll,  The  (Rusinol),  82 
Prodigal  Son,   The    (Kemp),  53 
Professionals,   134 
Programs,  45 
Annotated,    138 
Washington     Square     Players, 

30  et  seq. 

Provincetown,    Mass.,   46 
Provincetown  Players 
Acting,  49 

Associate  members,  46,  47 
Costumes,  49 
Expenses,  219-220 


ayo 


INDEX 


New  York  theatre,  47,  49 

Organization,  46 

Plays,    character    and    content, 

48-52 

Programs,  48,   50 
Stage,   48 

Prunella  (Housman  and  Barker), 
25,  118 

Pryce,  Richard.     See  Fenn,  Fred- 
erick,  and   Richard   Pryce 

Punishment   (Burleigh   and  Rier- 
stadt),    117,    119 

Puppet  plays,   108,   109 

Puppet  Theatre,  118 

Purple  Dream,  The  (Breed),  192 

Pygmalion     and     Galatea     (Gil- 
bert),  119 

Queen's  Enemies ;  The  (Dunsany), 

59,  60 
Question     of    Morality,     A     (P. 

Wilde),  68 
Quillcote  Theatre  of  Hollis,  Me., 

.215 
Quintero 

Bright  Morning,  A,  82 
Sunny  Morning,  A,  58,  60 

Raab,    Kate    M.,    163 
Rada   (Noyes),  90 
Radcliffe   College,    183 
Rainey,  Ada,  29 
Ranck,  E.  C. 

Call  of  the  Mountain,  The,  191 
Randall,  Ethel  C. 

Waves  of  Torre,  The,  192 
Reber,  J.  H.,  101 
Rebound,  The   (Robinson),  192 
Red     Cloak,     The     (Meyer     and 

Langner),    38 
Red  Flag,  The  (K.  S.  Goodman), 

"3 

Red  Turf  (Mayne),  60 
Reed,  John 

Freedom,  53 

Moondown,  38,  142 
Reed,  M.  W.,  126,  128 

In  for  Himself,  191 

See  also   Crafton,  J.   R.,  Abby 

Merchant,  and  Mark  Reed 
Reflections  (Ewing),  137 


Reicher,  Emanuel,   56 
Reicher,  Hedwig,  56 
Reinhardt,  Max,  3,  4,  63,  65,  228 
Kammerspielhaus,  n 
Little  Theatre  in  Berlin,  10 
Reizenstein,  Elmer 
Iron  Cross,  The,  71 
On  Trial,  71 
Rent,  217,  218 
Repertory  experiment,  232 
Repertory  system,  36,  228 
Little  Theatre  and,  236 
Repertory    theatres     in    general, 

223-227 

Rescue,  The  (Smith),  84 
Return       of      Proserpine,       The 

(Frank),   158 
Return  of  the  Prodigal   (Beach), 

192 
Revesby   Sword  Play,    The,    152, 

190,  191 
Riccodenci 

Shadow,  The,  60 
Rice,   C.   Y. 

Arduin,  137 
Rice,  Wallace 

See  Stevens,  T.  W.,  and  Wal- 
lace Rice 

Rich  Poor  Man  (Morley),  146 
Riche,  G.  P. 

Lover's  Luck,  38 
Richmond  Hill  Community  Play- 
ers, 79-82 
Scene  from  A  Sunny  Morning 

(ill.),  opp.  82 
Rider    of    Dreams,    The     (Tor- 

rence),  69 
Riders   to    the   Sea    (Synge),    87, 

119,  145,  149 
Riggs,  Gretchen 

Pierrot    in    the    Clear    of    the 

Moon,  113 

Riley,  James  Whitcomb,   163 
Rising  of  the  Moon  (Lady  Greg- 
ory), 119,  163 

Rivals,  The   (Sheridan),  91 
Roadhouse  in  Arden,  The  (Moel- 

ler),  38 

Robertson,  Donald,  202 
Robertson,  T.  W. 
School,  119 


INDEX 


271 


Robinson,  T.  P. 

Rebound)  The,  192 
Robinson,  Violet 

Home  Sweet  Home,  190,  191 
Robinson,  W.  F.,   193 
Robinson   Hall,   Hanover,   N.  H.} 

195 
Rochester 

Conservatory   auditorium,   88 

Fine  Arts  building,  86 

Little     Theatre     Players,     86- 

87 

Prince  Street  Players,   88 
Romance  (Sherry),  146 
Romance      of      the     Rose,      The 

(Hume),  152,  189,  191 
Ronano,  Ronetta 

Three  Generations,  60 
Rorty,  James 

Paul  and  Virginia,  64 
Rosalind   (Barrie),   119 
Rose,   The    (MacMillan),   132 
Rose  of  the  Rancho,  The,  247 
Rosenfeld,   66 
Roses   (Sudermann),  98 
Rosmersholm  (Ibsen),  108 
Rostand,  Edmond 

Weeping  Pierrot  and  Laughing 

Pierrot,  149  < 

Rouche,  Jacques,   13 
Roumanian  drama,  137 
Ruben,  Jose,  34,  237 
Rumor  (Bruegger),  114 
Rural     theatres.       See     Country 

theatres 

Rurale,  Las  (Massey),  146 
Rusinol,   Santiago 

Prodigal  Doll,  The,  82 
Russel,    Howland 

Talker,  The,  146 
Russell,  Annie,  99 
Russia,  Little  Theatre  in,  5  et 

seq. 
Rutherford   and  Son    (Sowerby), 

25,  117,  119 
Ryland   (Goodman  and  Stevens), 

60,   146,   173,   176 
Scene  (ill.),  opp.  174 

Sabine    Women    (Andreyeff),    7, 
162 


Sabotage  (Valcross  and  D'Estoc), 

68,  90 

Sacred    Ground    (Giacosa),    125 
Sad  Shepherd  (Jonson),  115,  119 
St.  Denis,  Ruth,  170 
St.  Louis 

Artists'  Guild,  136 
Little  Playhouse,  134-138,  248 
St.  Louis  Society  for  the  Promo- 
tion of  Drama,  135 
St.   Paul,  Minn.,  167 
Salaries,   105,   134,  217,  218,  219, 

236 

Salome,   n 

Saloon    theatre,    126-127 
Sam  Average  (Mackaye),  212 
Saphier,    Wm.      See    Bodenheim, 
Maxwell,  and  Wm.  Saphier 
Sardou,  Victorien 

Scrap  of  Paper,  A,  212 
Satt,  Hilda 

Walking  Delegate,   The,  117 
Sauce  for  the  Emperor  (Mosher), 

53,  88 

Sa<viors    (Goodman),  29,   31,   38 
Sax,  Carol  M.,  170,  172,  173 
Scandinavian  Experimental  The- 
atre, 13 
Scenery,  28,  41,  47,  53,  123,  140, 

157,  200,  202 
Arts    and    Crafts    Theatre    of 

Detroit,    150-151 
Chicago    Little     Theatre,     107, 

108 

Harvard    47    Workshop    Thea- 
tre, 189-190 
Little  Theatre  of  Philadelphia, 

99,  zoo 

McCallum  Theatre,  97 
Prairie  Playhouse,  129 
Simple,  116 

Trojan  Women,  The,  106 
Scenic  studio,  200 
Schaffer,  H.  B.,  101 
Schall  und  Rauch,  10,  27 
Scheming  Lieutenant,  The  (Sheri- 
dan), 162 

Schnitzler,  Arthur,  n,  102 
Anatol,  25,  88,  108,  158 
Literature,  38 
School  (Robertson),  119 


272 


INDEX 


School  for  Scandal,  The   (Sheri- 
dan), 77,  230,  248 

School  of  acting,  37 

School-mistress,     The     (Pinero), 
119 

Scrap  of  Paper,  A   (Sardou),  212 

Sea  Gull   (Tchekoff),  6,  38 

Sea    Pride    (Graf ton,    Merchant, 
and  Reed),  132 

Searle,  Katherine 
March  of  Truth,  The,  133 

Seating   capacity,   26,    30,   46,   48, 
54,   81,   88,   95,   99,    103,    112, 

115,     121,     128,     140,     148,     159, 
160,     171,     185,    212 

Second    Shepherd's     Tale,     The, 

196,  198 

Sermon  on  the  Mount  at  Maurice 
Brown's  Little  Theatre,  Chi- 
cago   (ill.)»    opp.    106 
Seven    Gifts,    The    (Walker),   40 
Sganarelle   (Moliere),  38 
Shadow,   The    (Riccodenci),   60 
Shadow     Garden     of     Shut-Eye 

Town,  59 
Shadow      of      the      Glen,      The 

(Synge),  203,  207 
Shadowy    Waters,    The    (Yeats), 

108,  158 

Sham   (Tompkins),  149 
Shakespeare,  162 
Antony  and  Cleopatra,  230 
As  You  Like  It,  204 
Hamlet,  6,  223,  247 
Merry  Wives  of  Windsor,  The, 

230 
Midsummer     Night's     Dream, 

118,  232 
.    Othello,  70 
Twelfth  Night,  118,  230 
Two     Gentlemen     of     Verona, 

202,  203 

Winter's  Tale,  202,  204,  230 
Shaw,  Frances 

In  the  Pasha's  Garden,  124 
Shaw,  G.  B.,  n,  loo 
Admirable  Bashville,  The,  178 
Androcles  and  the  Lion,  232 
Arms  and  the  Man,  149 
Augustus  Does  His  Bit,  178 
Candida,  133 


Captain    Brassbound's    Conver- 
sion, 55,  60,  234 
Dark  Lady  of  the  Sonnets,  The, 

142,  162 

Devil's  Disciple,  The,  119,  248 
Doctor's    Dilemma,    The,    102, 

232 
Great    Catherine,    59,    60,    116, 

119 
How  He  Lied  to  Her  Husband, 

77,  119,  142,  162 
Major  Barbara,   234 
Man  of  Destiny,  The,  119 
Philanderer,   The,   25,    108 
Stage  Society,  8 
You  Never  Can   Tell,  77,  115, 

119,  203,  204,  248 
Shaw,  Mary,  38,  206 
Sheldon,    Edward,    183 

Nigger,  The,  230 
Shepherd,  The   (Dargan),  56,  60 
Shepherd    in    the    Distance,    The 

(Hudson),   29,   38,    165 
Sheridan,  R.  B. 
Critic,  The,  77 
Rivals,  The,  91 
Scheming  Lieutenant,  The,  162 
School    for    Scandal,    The,    77, 

230,  248 

Sheridan  Square,  73 
Sherlock   Holmes    (Gillette),   247 
Sherry,  Laura   (Mrs.  E.  P.)i  *44> 

146,  202 
Ambition,  146 
Just  Livin',  146 
On  the  Pier,  146 
Romance,  146 
Shoemaker   and   the   Elves,    The, 

118 

Shore  Acres  (Herne),  247 
Sigurjonsson,   Johann 

Eyvind  of  the  Hills,  190,  192 
Silhouette  play,  105,  106,  109 
Stiver  Box,  The  (Galsworthy), 

56,  60,   119 
Simon  the  Cyrenian    (Torrence), 

69 
Simons,  Austin 

Dead  Soul,  146 
Simonson,  Lee,  29,  33 
Simplicity,  3,  19,  41,  123-124 


INDEX 


273 


Sister     Beatrice      (Maeterlinck), 

223,  229,  230,  248 
Sisters  (Perez),  60 
Sisters  of  Suzanna   (Moeller),  38 
Six  Who  Pass  While  the  Lentils 

Boil  (Walker),  43 
Skeletons   Out  of  the   Closet    (E. 

Cook),  114 
Skinner,  Otis,  206 
Sky  effects,  55 
Slave,  The   (Towse),  119 
Sleeping  Beauty,  The,  56,  59,  83, 

118 

Sloan,  J.  B.,  112,  116 
Smith,  George  Jay 

Forbidden  Fruit,  29,   31,   38 
Smith,  H.  F.,  and  T.  A.  Viehman 

Cloak  of  Dionysus,  The,  204 
Smith,   Rita   C. 

Rescue,   The,  84 
Smith  College,  93,  245 
Sniper,  The   (O'Neill),  53 
Snow- White  (Marsh),  113 
Sociological  theatres,  54,  103,  115 
Son  and  Heir,  The  (Unger),  102 
Son  of  the  People,  A  (Michaelis), 

231 

Song  of  Solomon,  The  (Nathan), 
66,  172,  176 

Sothern,  E.  H.,  95,  203 

Sovey,   Raymond,    172 

Sowerby,  Githa,  115 
Rutherford   and   Son,    25,    117, 
119 

Speckled  Band   (Doyle),  196 

Spelman,  Timothy,   189 

Spreading  the  News  (Lady  Greg- 
ory), 119,   142,   163 

Spring     in     Bloomsbury      (Brig- 
house),  178 

Squaw  Man,  The,  247 

Stage  Exhibit,   150 

Stage   Society,   232 
Beginning,  8 
Provincetown  Players,  47 

Stanislavski,  Constantine,  4,  5,  6, 
12 

Star  system,  223-224 

Static   drama,    122 

Stedman,  Howard 
Poet  Writes  a  Song,  The,  133 


Steele,  W.  D. 

Contemporaries,  175,  176 
Sterling,  George 

Everyman,  156,  158 
Steven.s,  T.  W.,  199,  202 

See  also  Goodman,  K.  S.,  and 

T.  W.  Stevens 

Stevens,    T.    W.,     and    Wallace 
Rice 

Chaplet  of  Pan,  The,  204 

Topaz  Amulet,  The,  146 
Stock    companies,    225-226 
Stockholm,    Intimate   Theatre,   13 
Stokes,  Rose  Pastor 

In  April,  31,  38 
Stranger,    The    (Hirshbein),    63, 

64,  65 
Stranger    Star,    The     (Crafton), 

133 

Stravinsky,  I.  F.,  57,  59 
Strife    (Galsworthy),   230 
Strindberg,    August,    4,    u,    102, 

107 

Creditors,  108 
Holte   project,    13 
Stronger,  The,  97,  98,  108,  145, 

176 
Strong,  Austin 

Drums  of  Oudh,  78 
Stronger,   The    (Strindberg),   97, 

98,  108,  145,  176 
Stucken,  Edward,  n 
Subjection  of  Keziah  (Ellis),  58, 

60,  108 
Such    a    Charming    Young    Man 

(Akins),    82 

Sudermann,   Herman,    102 
Far- A  way  Princess,   The,   142 
Fires  of  St.  John,  The,  60 
Last  Visit,  The,  142 
Roses,  98 

Sugar  House,  The   (Brown),  38 
Summer  course  in  playwrighting, 

185,  191 
Summer     Stock     Company,     225, 

226 

Sumurun,  n 
Sunny    Morning,    A     (Quintero, 

trans,   by  MacDonald),   58 
Cf.  Bright  Morning,  A 
Scene   (ill.),  opp.  82 


274 


INDEX 


Suppressed    Desires     (Cook    and 
Glaspell),    52,    53,    98,    152, 
163,   174,   175,   176,    178 
Sutro,  Alfred,  102 
Bracelet,  The,  206 
Man  in  the  Stalls,  196 
Marriage  Has  Been  Arranged, 

A,  87,  206 

Open  Door,  The,  206 
Sweden,  Little  Theatre  in,  13 
Sweet  Lavender   (Pinero),  77 
Sweethearts  (Gilbert),  68,  77 
Swet,  Gilbert,   193 
Symbolism,  6,  7 
Synge,  J.  M.,  4,  6,  93,  196 
Riders  to  the  Sea,  87,  119,  145, 

149 

Shadow  of  the  Glen,  The,  203, 
207 

Taft,  Oren,  Jr.,  108 

Conscience,  158 

Man,  The,  114 

Other  Dan,  The,  117 

Ten  Minutes,  113 
Tagore,  Rabindranath 

Post-Office,  The,  98,  102 
Talker,  The   (Russel),  146 
Tarkington,  Booth,   163 

Kisses  of  Marjorie,  The,  162 
Tartuffe   (Moliere),  202,  204 
Taxes,  218 
Tchaikowsky,   59 
Tchekoff,  Anton,  102,  196 

Bear,  The,  38,  133 

Marriage  Proposal,  A,  58,   60, 
88 

Sea  Gull,  6,  83 
Temperament  (Aldis),  125 
Ten  Minutes   (Taft),  113 
Tenor,  The  (Wedekind),  38 
Tents  of  the  Arabs    (Lord  Dun- 

sany),  102,  151,  203,  206 
Terrible  Meek,   The    (Kennedy), 

132 

Terry,  Ellen,  56,  224 
Tethered  Sheep   (Welsh),  60 
Thanksgiving  Festival,  A,  59 
Theatre  des  Arts,  Paris,  13 
Theatre     du     Vieux     Colombier, 
Paris,  13,  14,  26,  226 


Theatre  Frangais,  New  York,  226 
Theatre      of      the      Soul,      The 

(Evrienof),    149,    176 
Theatre    Workshop,    The     (New 

York  City),  205-207 
Thimble  Theatre,  244 
Thomas,  A.  E.,  247 

Her  Husband's  Wife,  132,   142 

What  the  Doctor  Ordered,  102 
Thompson,  Julian 

How  Very  Shocking,  114 
Thompson,   Maurice,    163 
Three  Generations  (Romano),  60 
Thunderbolt,    The    (Pinero),   230 
Tobit,  The  Book  of,  97 
Toensfeldt,  Kurt,   137 
Toensfeldt,  Margaret,   137 
Tolstoy,  Leo,  4 

Where  Love  Is,  n8 
Tomorrow  (Mackaye),  100 
Tompkins,  Frank 

Sham,  149 

Tonsils  (Marsh),  114 
Topaz  Amulet,  The  (Stevens  and 

Rice),  146 
Torrence,  Ridgely 

Granny  Maumee,  69 

Rider  of  Dreams,   The,  69 

Simon  the  Cyrenian,  69 
Towse,  J.  R. 

Slave,   The,   119 
Toy  Theatre  of  Boston,   15,   123, 

138,   186,  243 

Tradition    (Middleton),   124,   146 
Traditions,  205 
Tragedy    of    Nan,    The    (Mase- 

field),  119,  178 
Trask,  Mrs.  Katrina 

In  the  Vanguard,  247 
Traveling      Man,      The      (Lady 

Gregory),    211 
Traveling   theatre,   39,   40 
Treasure   (Pinski),  65 
Trelawney    of    the     Wells     (Pi- 
nero), 119,  248 
Trifles     (Glaspell),    32,    35,    38, 

152 

Trimplet,   The    (Walker),   43 
Troilus  and  Cressida,  181 
Trojan  Women,  The  (Euripides), 
105-106,  108 


INDEX 


275 


Tulane  University,  179 

Turtle  Dove,  The  (Oliver),  97 

Twelfth     Night      (Shakespeare), 

118,  230 
Twelve-Pound     Look      (Barrie), 

91,  142,  206 
Two  Blind  Beggars  and  One  Less 

Blind  (Moeller),  29,  38 
Two  Gentlemen,  of  Verona 

(Shakespeare),  202,  203 
Two  Sons,  The  (Boyce),  53 
Tyler,  Royall 

Contrast,  The,  102 

Under  Fire,  247 
Unger,  Gladys 

Son  and  Heir,  The,  102 
United  States 

Little  Theatre  movement  in,  14 
et  seq. 

Little    Theatres    in,     list,    22, 

.  23 
Universities 

Dramatic  clubs,   181 
Laboratory   theatre,    first,    183 
Laboratory   theatres,    181-182 
Upper    Mississippi    Valley,    130- 


Vagabond  Theatre   of  Baltimore 
Baltimoreans,    172,  '173 
Cosmopolitanism,  175 
Interior     of     playhouse,     170- 

171 

Plays  and  settings,  173,  174 
Programs,   169,   174-175 
Purpose,   170 
Repertory,    176 
Scene  from  Ryland  (ill.)i  opp. 

174 

Villon  idea,  169,  170 
Valcross,  W.,  and  Pol  d'Estoc 

Sabotage,  68,   90 
Valley,  The  (Crowell),  146 
Van      Colkenburg,     Ellen.       See 
Edgerton,  Harriet,  and  Ellen 
Van   Colkenburg 
Vanity   Fair    (Hichens    and   Len- 

nox), 231 

Very  Naked  Boy,  The  (Walker), 
44 


Victims    (Lowrey),   119 
Viehman,  T.  A. 
See   Smith,   H.   F.,    and   T.   A. 

Viehman 
Vieux    Colombier.      See    Theatre 

du  Vieux  Colombier 
Village,   The    (Feuillet),   124 
Villon,   Franqois,    169,    170 
Violin   Maker   of   Cremona,    The 

(Coppee),  203 
Voices  (Flexner),  44 
Vrehlicky,  Jaroslav,  102 

Waldies,  The   (Hamlen),  60 
Walker,   Clementine,   172 
Walker,   Stuart 
Flame  Man,  The,  44 
Lady  of  the   Weeping   Willow 

Tree,  43 

Medicine  Show,  The,  44 
Nevertheless,  44 
Old  Japan,  44 

Portmanteau  Theatre,  39  et  seq. 
Seven  Gifts,  The,  40 
Six  Who  Pass  While  the  Len- 
tils Boil,  43 
Trimplet,  The,  43 
Very  Naked  Boy,  The,  44 
Walking    Delegate,    The    (Satt), 

117 

Wanger,  W.  F.,  193,  197 
War    Game,    The    (Gerstenberg 

and    Cordova),   113 
Washburn,  Mildred  B. 

What  It   Gets  Down   To,   141, 

142 

Washington,   D.   C.,   177-178 
Washington      Square      Bookshop, 

27,  46,  47 
Washington    Square   Players,    99, 

113,  235,  236,  237 
Acting,  33,  34 
Comedy  Theatre,  34,  35 
Establishment,  27 
Expenses,  219 
Inscenation,   30 

"Intellectual  inducements,"  36 
Programs,  30  et  seq. 
Repertory,   37,   38 
Scene     from     Bushido      (ill.)» 
opp.  32 


276 


INDEX 


Scene  from   The  Life  of  Man 

(ill.),  Frontispiece 
Scene   from   The  Merry  Death 

(ill.),  opp.  32 
Scenic  investiture,   19 
School   of  acting,   37 
Success,   33,  35 

Waves  of  Torre   (Randall),  192 
Wedekind,  Frank,  n,  100 

Tenor,  The,  38 
Weeping    Pierrot    and    Laughing 

Pierrot  (Rostand),  149 
Wellman,  Rita 

Barbarians,    53 
Welsh,  R.  G. 

Tethered  Sheep,  60 
Welsh  Honeymoon   (Marks),  167 
Welsh  life,  167 
Welsh   National    Theatre,   9 
Wessex  Players,  9 
West,  various  Little  Theatres  in, 

121  et  seq. 

Weyrich,  Joseph,  172 
Wharf  Theatre,  47 
What  It  Gets  Down  To   (Wash- 
burn),  141,   142 
What       the       Doctor       Ordered 

(Thomas),  102 

What    the    Public    Wants    (Ben- 
nett), 102 
Where  But  in   America!    (Mun- 

ro),  114 

Where  Love  Is   (Tolstoy),   118 
Which  One?  (Bourget),  125 
Whims    (Musset),  38 
White,  Hervey 

Fire  and  Water,  38 
White  House  Saloon,  127 
Interior   (ill.),  opp.  126 
Why  the  Chimes  Rang   (McFad- 

den),  189,  191 
Wiggin,  Kate  D.,  215 
Wild  Birds  (Pearn),  60 
Wilde,  Oscar,  n,  100 
Birthday    of    the    Infanta,    43, 

192 

Happy  Prince,  The,  108 
Ideal  Husband,  The,  102 
Importance,   of   Being   Earnest, 

The,  80,  119,  163,  204,  248 
Lady  Winder  mere's  Fan,  88 


Wilde,  Percival,   166,   247 
According  to  Darwin,  82 
Dawn,  88,  162,  166 
Finger  of  God,  The,  146 
House  of  Cards,  At  82,  88,  90, 

1 66 
Noble  Lord,   The,  88,   90,   133, 

166 

Playing   with   Fire,   82,    90 
Question  of  Morality,  A,  68 

Wilkinson,    Norman,   232 

Will,  The   (Barrie),  142 

Winnek,  Marian  F. 
Educated,  191 

Winston-Salem,  N.  C.,  244 

Winter's  Night   (Boyce),  53 

Winter's      Tale      (Shakespeare), 

202,    204,   230 

Wisconsin,   University  of,  144 

Wisconsin  Dramatic  Society,  143- 
146 

Wisconsin  Players,  143 

Wisconsin  Plays,  145 

Witch,  The  (Janssen),  230 

With  the  Current  (Asch),  58 

Wolf,  Pierre,  3,  n 

Women   in  the  Workshop  Thea- 
tre of  Yonkers,  83 

Womenkind    (Gibson),   60,   108 

Women's  parts,  men  in,  197,  198 

Wonder   Hat,    The    (Hecht    and 
Goodman),  113 

Wonder-worker,    The    (Wright), 
190,   192 

Woodland    Princess,    The     (Per- 
kins), 214 

Woodruff,  H. 
Death — A  Discussion,  132 

Woolcott,  Alex.,  36,  237 

Worker-players,  61,  62 

Workhouse     Ward,     The     (Lady 
Gregory),   88,   119,   142,   196, 

211 

Workshop  Theatre  in  New  York, 

"3 

Workshop  Theatre  of  Chicago 
Character,  103,  no 
Dues  and  rates,  no,  in 
Expenses,   220 
Production,   111-112 
Repertory,  113 


INDEX 


277 


Workshop    Theatre    of    Yonkers, 

83 

Workshop  theatres 
First,    5 

First  in  America,  184 
Wright,  Lucy 

Wonder-worker,   The,  190,   192 
Wyspianski's    Little    Theatre    in 
Cracow,  6,  7 

Yale  Dramatic  Club,  181 
Yarrow,  Sarah 

King   of  the  Black  Isles,   The, 

too 
Yeats,  W.  B.,  4,  102 

Cathleen     ni*     Hoolihan,     163, 

178 

Land  of  Heart's  Desire,   The, 
203 


\  In  Baile's  Strand,  108 
3ot  of  Broth,  A,  211 
Shadowy     Waters,     The,     108, 

158 

Yellow  Passport,  The,  64 
Yeuell,  Donovan 

Out  of  the  Dark,  114 
Yiddish  plays,  57,  62  et  seq. 
Yiddish   theatres,   226 
Yoku-Ki    (Bernstein),    100 
Yonkers,    Workshop   Theatre,    83 
Yorska,  Madam,  237 
You    Can't    Get   Away   From    It 

(Bruegger),  114 

You  Never  Can  Tell  (Shaw),  77, 
115,  119,  203,  204,  298 

Zaragueta,  68 
Zorachs,  The,  53 


14  DAY  USE 

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